The Moral Case for Conservatism

The Moral Case for Conservatism is not about a political party, but rather about the philosophy of conservatism. Author Samuel Burgess (Edmund Burke’s Battle with Liberalism: His Christian Philosophy and Why it Matters Today) holds that many of the principles of conservatism lie within the Christian tradition. He cites the deep religious convictions that motivated William Wilberforce and other leading figures in the conservative tradition who argued that Christianity should occupy a central role in our civil and political lives.

In chapters including Freedom under Law, Markets, Community, Religion and Beauty he shows how human relationships guided by moral principles can transform lives in a way that government programmes cannot. True conservatism, he says, holds community at
its core. 

Much in this 190-page volume is aimed at ordinary citizens, entrepreneurs, cultural influencers and other role models who are needed to build a society in which communities are strong, families come first, and talk of duty is as common as talk of rights. Above all, the author asks us to remember the human heart of the conservative tradition.   

“Burgess’s work will interest all who seek an analysis of the decline of Christian faith in British society and its consequences. He investigates the rise of libertarian individualism - ‘do whatever you enjoy’ - in the philosophy and politics of the last three hundred years which believe that human beings are solitary rights bearers, not morally ordered with a higher purpose.” Canon Dr Chris Sugden

Samuel Burgess studied at the University of Durham, where he received a Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship and a first class degree in theology. He subsequently studied for an M. Phil at the University of Cambridge and a D. Phil at the University of Oxford. He is a former Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress and has tutored in Christian ethics. He is the author of Edmund Burke’s Battle with Liberalism: His Christian Philosophy and Why it Matters Today (Wilberforce Publications).