2.2 Isn't conservatism simply another way of saying that people who currently have wealth and power should keep it?
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This article is from the Conservatism FAQ, by Jim Kalb kalb@aya.yale.edu with numerous contributions by others.
2.2 Isn't conservatism simply another way of saying that people who currently have wealth and power should keep it?
Every political view promotes the particular advantage of some
people. If political views are to be treated as rationalizations of
the interests of existing or would-be elites, then that treatment
should apply equally to conservatism and all other views. On the
other hand, if arguments that particular political views advance the
public good are to be taken seriously, then the arguments for
conservatism should be considered on their merits.
It's worth noting that liberalism istself furthers the interests of
powerful social classes that support it, and that movements aiming at
social justice typically become radically elitist because the more
comprehensive and abstract a political principle, the smaller the
group that can be relied on to understand and apply it correctly.
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