Conservative, n. A statesman enamored of existing evils, as opposed to a Liberal, who wants to replace them with others.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Conservatives are mocked as preferring current problems to new unknown ones.
- In plain terms
- Conservatives like bad things that exist, while liberals want to swap them.
- What can you take from it?
- People often prefer known bad over unknown bad.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do people stick with bad systems?
- Is stability worth knowing evil?
Another view
It reduces political philosophy to mere preference for evil.
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