Ten Conservative Principles by Russell Kirk

An enduring moral order. Conservatives believe in the constancy of human nature and the permanence of moral truth. Social order is maintained when people believe in and act in accordance with enduring moral rules. Values that are 3 weeks old are unlikely to create stable nations.

Custom and conventions. Law at its simplest level is a body of conventions, and conservatives prefer the comfort that old custom and continuity offers. What is produced by “centuries of trial, reflection and sacrifice” is better than the latest utopian ideas down the street.

The principle of prescription. We are unlikely to “make any brave new discoveries in morals or politics or taste.” Therefore we should give weight to the prescription of the past - the accumulated wisdom of our entire history is heavier than our “petty private rationality.”

The importance of prudence. Society is built in the long-run, but it can be destroyed in short order. Putting aside “temporary advantage or popularity,” conservatives think hard about potential “long-term consequences” before moving around important pieces in society.

Civilizational diversity. The conservative believes that any society will have natural and institutional inequalities, and attempts at levelling these will lead to “social stagnation.” If those inequalities are somehow removed, there will always be newer forms to replace them.

“We are not made for perfect things.” Kirk writes: “ Because of human restlessness, mankind would grow rebellious under any Utopian domination, and would break out once more in violent discontent—or else expire of boredom.”

The importance of Private property. The ownership of property confers responsibility as well as a sense of achievement. Private property gives people roots, a place to call home, and a personal stake in the nation.

Voluntary community, yes. Involuntary collectivism, no. A community is local and tangible. Collectivism at the scale of a whole country is abstract and fails to induce real loyalty. Small-scale communities suit humans better than large scale collectivist projects.

Power can’t be destroyed. Kirk writes: “Power which the revolutionaries had thought oppressive in the hands of the old regime became many times as tyrannical in the hands of the radical new masters of the state.” The only good option is to put “prudent restraints upon power.”

Permanence and progression. A society thrives to the degree it wisely balances permanence with progression. Change and growth keep a society, as well as organisms, vibrant and healthy - but everything new is not necessarily an improvement over everything old.