Against Libertine Conservatism

Conservatives cannot conserve the traditions of the West while engaging in a crude culture war.

Written by Bo Winegard.

Conservatism is not at war with human nature. But it does attempt to restrain it, discipline it and even elevate it. To this end, it seeks to suppress base impulses and desires and to channel them into something higher. It accepts the crooked timber of humanity, yet it does not celebrate our foibles.

Since Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party, however, this difficult but necessary task has been largely abandoned. Many conservatives have embraced instead a kind of libertine conservatism, an attitude that delights in whatever crude, crass, boorish or salacious cultural artifact most offends progressives. Liberal tears are apparently more rewarding than moral rectitude.