ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses how far conservatism can be considered as a form of illiberalism. The received view defines conservatism as rejecting the political rationalism of revolutionary Jacobinism and liberalism, which reconstruct society from abstract principles, denying tradition. This chapter modifies the received view by arguing that: (1) liberalism’s rationalism is qualified – pragmatic liberals like J.S. Mill appreciate the value of tradition; and (2) conservatism’s anti-rationalism is qualified, because it allows reasoned critique of tradition. Conservatism and liberalism overlap, and so conservatism cannot simply be a version of illiberalism, understood as the negation of liberalism.
