Conservatism (Latin: conservare, "to retain") is a
political and social philosophy that promotes retaining traditional social
institutions. A person who follows the philosophies of conservatism is referred
to as a traditionalist or conservative.
Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are,
emphasizing stability and continuity, while others, called reactionaries,
oppose modernism and seek a return to "the way things were". The
first established use of the term in a political context was by François-René
de Chateaubriand in 1819, following the French Revolution.
The term,
historically associated with right-wing politics, has since been used to
describe a wide range of views. There is no single set of policies that are
universally regarded as conservative, because the meaning of conservatism
depends on what is considered traditional in a given place and time. Thus,
conservatives from different parts of the world - each upholding their
respective traditions - may disagree on a wide range of issues.
Edmund Burke, an Anglo-Irish politician who served in the
British House of Commons and opposed the French Revolution, is credited as one
of the founders of conservatism in Great Britain. According to Hail sham, a
former chairman of the British Conservative Party, "Conservatism is not so
much a philosophy as an attitude, a constant force, performing a timeless
function in the development of a free society, and corresponding to a deep and
permanent requirement of human nature itself.
