Greg Lawson wrote the following as a comment to yesterday's "What is a Conservative?" post. I asked his permission to use it as a guest post, because I think Greg added a lot to our conversation.
I agree that a conservative sees “man” within a larger context than mere materialism. I also believe a conservative is one who understands both true “greatness” and the reality of the evil propensities that lie within every human.
It is only by having a “total” view that we are able to account for much of what man has done- both the best and the worst.
The present day progressives boil man down to a consumer of material goods and the “right society” as being a false egalitarian society that does not take into account anything beyond the senses themselves.
Progressives myopically believe that man is a tabula rasa. Conservatives tap into a much longer and deeper tradition, by recognizing the futility of the concept that we are such blank slates that can be experimented on until we achieve earthly perfection.
As I said in a recent posting on my blog,
“So, we conserve money for a greater good than oneself. But what else? Isn’t conservation about saving things that are vitally important to us, possibly even necessary for life itself? Isn’t that what the “conservation” movement is all about when it comes to “saving the planet?”
So isn’t being “conservative” about saving something that will sustain us, not only materially, but spiritually? Isn’t it about maintaining a connection to our roots, our family, and our cultural heritage that has historically shaped, though not determined, what and who we are?
So conservatives must “conserve” more than their individuality, they must conserve those institutions that transcend, otherwise, do we not lose touch with any sense of eternity?
In this respect, I think the “virtuous life” is much more than a mere “lifestyle choice.” It is a life that attempts to raise our horizons to something much higher than ourselves, and even higher than mere man. For youth that seek the stimulation of “personal” freedom, conservatives must offer a more comprehensive vision, a vision of greatness, transcendence, and the eternal. These are that which should be “conserved” because they are what give us true inspiration and bring us closer (if not into the direct presence of) Truth.
Faith, family, and community are where these senses of the transcendent reside and those, even more than the fiscal arena, is what we must conserve.”
