The Dilemma of Conservatism in Germany
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10074459 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mortin Greiffenhagen (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1979 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 611-625 |
| Publication date | 1979-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Contemporary History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0094 • E-ISSN: 1461-7250 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/002200947901400403 |
| OpenAlex | W2032016031 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 7 |
General definitions of conservatism are difficult and, ultimately, fruitless, since conservatism is a national phenomenon. Liberalism and socialism, on the other hand, are to a much lesser extent the product of particular political tradition or religious patterns, or of special institutional structures which, from a conservative standpoint, predetermine future social and political life. Consider the following examples: British conservatism always remained within the confines of the natural law tradition, while German conservatism developed in opposition to this same philosophical idea. American conservatism is rooted in the beginnings of American democracy and has always been characterized by an elitist but nonetheless democratic ideology based on freedom and equality. German and French conservatism, however, took root long before the French Revolution. Thus, traces of monarchical, feudal, and absolutist structures are still to be found in continental conservative movements. Conservatism, then, is an historical phenomenon which draws its concepts of nature, authority, freedom, property, religion, the family, etc. from the special blend of history and national tradition which gave rise to it. In Germany conservatism took shape by mainly attacking two political theories: that of the absolutist state and that of democratic movement. Absolutism destroyed many old institutions and replaced them with a rational structure that had been contrived for the benefit and efficient operation of a new artificial political machine. Conservatism opposed to this new mechanical state a theory of organic historical institutions which in the long course of their
Conservatism · Dilemma · Epistemology · Political science · Politics · Law · Philosophy · Public Administration and Political Analysis
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2023 (3) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |