Understanding True Conservatism
"The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and liberty." - Ronald Reagan
On January 9th, 2025, Elon Musk hosted a space discussion on X with Alice Weidel, the leader of Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, her comments on Hitler’s political stance sparked significant debate. She claimed Hitler was not a conservative.
Alice said, “People think of Adolf Hitler as right and conservative; he was exactly the opposite; he wasn't a conservative. He wasn't a libertarian; he was a communist socialist guy. We are exactly the opposite; we are libertarian conservative party.”
But she’s right. Does the label of “Conservative” truly fit Nazism?
Conservatism by definition is a political and social philosophy that seeks to preserve and emphasize established traditions, values, and institutions. It favors free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas. Conservatives believe in less government while advocating for government roles that focus on maintaining social order, national defense, and sometimes, moral standards. Conservatives often support less government. They advocate for reduced government intervention in most areas of life and in the economy. They emphasize Individual liberty or making it more conditional to promote personal responsibility.
As articulated by thinkers like Robert Nisbet, “The essence of this body of ideas is the protection of the social order—family, neighborhood, local community, and region foremost—from the ravishments of the centralized political state.”
I did not understand the essence of conservatism until I read “My Grandfather’s Son”. This book is a memoir by Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States. Clarence Thomas talks about his journey of becoming a conservative. Below is an excerpt from Chapter 4, he talks about a conversation he had with his conservative friend which reverberated on his mind a lot and made him rethink his political stance.
“John was known as a conservative while I still thought of myself as being far left of center (when I wasn't just being cynical). That didn't bother either of us. I'd already noticed that too many white students at Yale seemed not to want to talk to me about anything but black issues or sports. Not John. He was no panderer: he spoke to me about whatever was on his mind, and he was ready to argue at the drop of a hat. One of our most fateful discussions began when I mentioned to John that I supported mandatory motorcycle helmet laws and the then-new automobile seat belt requirement. Since society bears the cost of care for people who are injured, I argued, the government had the right, if not the obligation, to take steps to reduce the risk of injury. Naturally John thought otherwise, and we argued back and forth. Then he looked me in the eye and said, "Clarence, as a member of a group that has been treated shabbily by the majority in this country, why would you want to give the government more power over your personal life?" That stopped me cold. I thought of what Daddy had said when I asked him why he'd never gone on public assistance. "Because it takes away your manhood," he said. "You do that and they can ask you questions about your life that are none of their business. They can come into your house when they want to, and they can tell you who else can come and go in your house." Daddy and John, I saw, were making the same point: real freedom meant independence from government intrusion, which in turn meant that you had to take responsibility for your own decisions. When the·government assumes that responsibility, it takes away your freedom-and wasn't freedom the very thing for which blacks in America were :fighting?
Edmund Burke, considered the father of modern conservatism, was a British statesman and philosopher who wrote extensively against the radical changes brought by the French Revolution. His work, especially "Reflections on the Revolution in France" (1790), is seen as a foundational text for conservative thought. He recognizes that change is inevitable and often necessary. However, the purpose of reform in conservatism should be to conserve - to protect the core values, institutions, and principles that have historically sustained and defined the community. Not all reforms are beneficial; some might undermine the very things conservatism seeks to maintain.
Here is a wonderful conversation by Sir Roger Scruton, the author of How to Be a Conservative. It’s worth a watch.
Check out this wonderful and in depth article on The role of anti-capitalism in Hitler's world view by Rainer Zitelmann. You can read it here.
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