ABSTRACT
Conservatism is primarily a spirit animating political behavior, it is a way of life, and it is a manner of judging life. Conservative parties, so named, were organized in England in 1835, in Germany and France in 1848, and in Spain in 1875, for example. As a spirit in politics, conservatism has fared better under other names, names that have been specifically in accordance with national symbolism. The conservative spirit bases a belief in moderation in reform on two primary points. It believes that human nature is a combination of reason and unselfishness and of irrational and recalcitrant behavior. The conservative spirit would hold that democracy is a direct outgrowth of its principles; it cannot believe that democracy is possible outside of experience preserved in legal institutions and in historic constitutionalism. The conservative spirit in politics has opposed this demand by supporting political freedom and regulated competition.
