Order appears to the conservative as the result of the continuous attention of authority, which, for this purpose, must be allowed to do what is required by the particular circumstances and not be tied to rigid rule. A commitment to principles presupposes an understanding of the general forces by which the efforts of society are co-ordinated, but it is such a theory of society and especially of the economic mechanism that conservatism conspicuously lacks. So unproductive has conservatism been in producing a general conception of how a social order is maintained that its modern votaries, in trying to construct a theoretical foundation, invariably find themselves appealing almost exclusively to authors who regarded themselves as liberal.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hayek claims conservatism lacks a coherent theory of how social order is maintained, often relying on liberal authors instead. He notes conservatives value flexible authority over rigid rules but struggle to articulate general principles of social coordination.
- In plain terms
- Conservatism struggles to explain how society stays ordered without borrowing from liberal ideas.
- What can you take from it?
- Political movements need strong theoretical foundations to sustain themselves.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What holds society together without rigid rules?
- How do ideologies justify themselves?
Another view
Hayek may underestimate the practical value of experience-based conservatism.
More from Friedrich Hayek
The conservative feels safe and content only if he is assured that some higher wisdom watches and supervises change, only if he knows that some authority is ch…
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Permalink to quote #78 As has often been acknowledged by conservative writers, one of the fundamental traits of the conservative attitude is a fear of change, a timid distrust of the…
Permalink to quote #75
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