Compare and contrast modern conservatism and modern liberalism Essay

Compare and contrast modern conservatism and modern liberalism - Essay Example The paper tells that one of the major requisites of the comparative analysis of modern conservatism and modern liberalism is a thorough understanding of the underlying principles of both these ideologies. In an attempt to classify the major arguments of modern conservatism, one may recognize that the body of opinion called conservatism does not have a clear-cut dogma or ideology. Rather than a system of ideological dogmata, it is mainly a body of sentiments which upholds the attitude we call conservatism. As Russell Kirk remarks, â€Å"Perhaps it would be well, most of the time, to use this word â€Å"conservative† as an adjective chiefly. For there exists no Model Conservative, and conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.† However, a clear understanding of the major tenets of modern conservatism suggests that it is an ideology which shows respect for the institutions of law, Consti tution and the rights of the people. Although it has changed many of the traits of true conservatism, modern conservatism has played a crucial role in the equality, liberty, justice, and education of the people in the modern states. This fact is clear from Russell Kirk discussion of the ten principles that have loomed large during the two centuries of modern conservative thought, and he specifies that the conservative understanding of justice, education, etc have similar significance in the modern world. ... Rather than a system of ideological dogmata, it is mainly a body of sentiments which upholds the attitude we call conservatism. As Russell Kirk remarks, â€Å"Perhaps it would be well, most of the time, to use this word â€Å"conservative† as an adjective chiefly. For there exists no Model Conservative, and conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.† (Guide, pg. 40) However, a clear understanding of the major tenets of modern conservatism suggests that it is an ideology which shows respect for the institutions of law, Constitution and the rights of the people. Although it has changed many of the traits of true conservatism, modern conservatism has played a crucial role in the equality, liberty, justice, and education of the people in the modern states. This fact is clear from Russell Kirk discussion of the ten principles that have loomed large during the two centuries of modern conser vative thought, and he specifies that the conservative understanding of justice, education, etc have similar significance in the modern world. In his comparison of the ideologies of modern conservatism and modern liberalism Russell Kirk considers that the former has more relevance than the latter. According to him, the great line of demarcation in modern politics is between the ultimate principles of these ideologies: â€Å"on one side of that line are all those men and women who fancy that the temporal order is the only order, and that material needs are their only needs, and that they may do as they like with the human patrimony. On the other side of that line are all those people who recognize an enduring moral order in the universe, a constant human nature, and