had a major influence on the modern philosophy of conservative liberalism. Conservative liberalism emerged in late 18th-century
France and the
United Kingdom, when the moderate
bourgeoisie supported the monarchy within the liberal camp. Representatively,
Doctrinaires, which existed during the
Bourbon Restoration was a representative conservative-liberal party. Radicalism, the leftward flank of liberalism during the late 18th and early 19th centuries that is referred to as
classical radicalism, emerged as an opposition against the moderateness of these conservative liberals.
Whiggism, or Whig liberalism, in the United Kingdom also forms early conservative liberalism and is distinguished from the
Radicals (radical liberalism). is known as
Jean-Paul Sartre's "great intellectual opponent". According to Robert Kraynak, a professor at
Colgate University, rather than "following progressive liberalism (i.e.
social liberalism), conservative liberals draw upon pre-modern sources, such as
classical philosophy (with its ideas of
virtue, the
common good, and
natural rights),
Christianity (with its ideas of
natural law, the social nature of man, and
original sin), and ancient institutions (such as
common law, corporate bodies, and social hierarchies). This gives their liberalism a conservative foundation. It means following
Socrates,
Plato,
Aristotle,
St. Augustine, St.
Thomas Aquinas, and
Edmund Burke rather than
Locke or
Kant; it usually includes a deep sympathy for the politics of the
Greek polis, the
Roman Republic, and Christian monarchies. But, as realists, conservative liberals acknowledge that
classical and
medieval politics cannot be restored in the modern world. And, as moralists, they see that the modern experiment in liberty and self-government has the positive effect of enhancing human dignity as well as providing an opening (even in the midst of
mass culture) for transcendent longings for eternity. At its practical best, conservative liberalism promotes
ordered liberty under God and establishes constitutional safeguards against tyranny. It shows that a regime of liberty based on traditional morality and classical-Christian culture is an achievement we can be proud of, rather than merely defensive about, as trustees of Western civilization." In the European context, conservative liberalism should not be confused with
liberal conservatism, which is a variant of conservatism combining conservative views with liberal policies in regards to the economy, social and ethical issues. Conservative liberal parties have tended to develop in those European countries where there was no strong secular
conservative party and where the
separation of church and state was less of an issue. In those countries, where the conservative parties were
Christian democratic, this conservative brand of liberalism developed. == Political stance ==