Conservatism can be contrasted on the one hand to radical
libertarianism or
anarchism, and on the other to such
statist movements as
fascism and the authoritarian (as opposed to libertarian) versions of
communism, and
socialism. In terms of the relation of the individual and the state, conservatism falls in the middle. While one end of the spectrum sees no need for the state to exist, the other sees the state as more important than the individual.
There is an ambiguity inherent in the term "conservative" as used today.
Classical Conservatism emphasizes the importance of tradition and continuity.
An individual may fall anywhere from the right to the centre-left on the traditional left-right political spectrum and be a classical conservative. On the other hand, ideological conservatism is specifically on the right side of the spectrum. Thus, to talk meaningfully about
conservatism, one must consider both
classical conservatism and
ideological conservatism.
The ideals of classical conservatism and
classical liberalism can and often do coexist within a party, a regime, or even an individual. They are not always in conflict, but they are inevitably in tension.
Classical conservatism emphasizes tradition and continuity; classical liberalism emphasizes individual liberty. Sometimes these two ideals are mutually supportive (as in support for
freedom of political speech);
sometimes they are in conflict (as in matters relating to
gender roles); sometimes
they are in complicated and dynamic relation to one another (as in matters relating to
welfare).
In the popular imagination, "liberal" and "conservative" have always been at odds, irrespective of whether "conservative" meant old Tory, Dixiecrat, or neoconservative or whether "liberal" meant old Whig, Jeffersonian, or Communist. In the context of contemporary Anglo-American politics, nearly all conservatism incorporates many aspects of classical liberalism, but it remains in contrast to and in conflict with modern liberalism and democratic socialism.
