POLS 385-006: Spec Tops: Political Science: Political Conservatism (Spring 2010)

Conservatism is as much a perspective on human nature as it is a political ideology. It is often accused of merely justifying the present conditions of a society in need of reform. Yet much conservative thought is rooted not in an optimistic defense of the status quo, but rather in a pessimistic or skeptical attitude toward our capacity to implement the kind of change that might in fact be desirable. By challenging the abstract idea of social progress, conservatism stresses the limits of human reason and forces us to reflect on the meaning of our most cherished ideals.

 In this course, we will study different varieties of conservatism (e.g. political, economic, cultural, and religious). Our goal is to consider the many sides of a concept often superficially understood. Some key themes we will encounter along the way are the relationship between the individual and society, ancient and modern conceptions of liberty, communitarianism and cosmopolitanism, law and morality, and the meaning of democracy.