Quote of the Day: Derbyshire on Conservatism

"Conservatism, to me, means a way of thinking about human affairs that strives to see human nature clearly. Conservatives favor those ideas about politics, society, law, and culture that enable human beings, flawed and fallen creatures as we are, to live together in reasonable comity. Most such ideas need centuries to “cook,” so we place most trust in traditional and customary attitudes and practices. Conservatives detest and eschew wishful thinking about human nature. Though always willing to listen to modest schemes for advancing manners and attitudes, we reject grand sweeping plans for improving humanity at large. We like both liberty and order, but liberty a bit more. We think liberty is best guaranteed in a well-established nation-state with a good body of common preferences and understandings, and just one common language..."

(taken from this interview)