Was Ralph Walso Emerson correct about conservatism?

Question

Men are conservatives when they are least vigorous, or when they are most luxurious. They are conservatives after dinner.

Quote form an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Answer 1

Yes, ironically, when someone else is taking care of them. The nurse and the cook don't have the luxury of conservatism.

Bushie, making an observation about Democracy isn't the same as being against it. How overly simplistic!

Taze Bro, in your rant you forgot to answer the question...

Dead Marxist, making an observation about socialism isn't the same as being against it. And you need to look up the meaning of taking out of context, because you aren't using it properly in this example. Just because someone can find another quote on a different subject doesn't mean the first one dosen't mean what it seems to say.

Answer 2

Do you always take quotes out of context ? Ralph Waldo Emerson was by no means a leftwinger, and was indeed a strong advocate for American individualism

He penned this devasting line for his 1842 Dial essay "Fourierism and the Socialists":

"Fourier had skipped no fact but one, namely Life"

and this:

"What is more futile than barren philosophical speculation, that leads to no great practical results?"

Answer 3

the main to information existentialism is information that we are liable for each little thing that occurs in our lives. We carry to ourselves our happinesses and our pains. Others don't have administration over us till we supply it to them. while one learns own responsiblity then one ceases to make excuses. One releases oneself from self pity and self loathing. in this we improve into at no fee to stay our lives at peace with ourselves and others. The existential philosophy is a Western philosophy. jap philosophy is in line with a extra collective existence. to declare that a collectivist may well be extra powerful if he bacame extra individualistic merely because of the fact one is individualistic and judges collectivism to be an get away from own accountability is merely as undesirable a a muslim making use of the Koran to tell a Jew or a Christian that his faith isn't as stable, or that he won't bypass to heaven because of the fact he would not settle for Mohammed because of the fact the prophet on the whole different prophets. that's an argument of subculture and none people can unquestionably comprehend yet another subculture till we've lived it.

Answer 4

Sounds right to me. I like these descriptions as well.
"A conservative is a man who believes that nothing should be done for the first time." Alfred E. Wiggam
"Conservatism discards Prescription, shrinks from Principle, disavows Progress; having rejected all respect for antiquity, it offers no redress for the present, and makes no preparation for the future."
"A Conservative Government is an organized hypocrisy."Benjamin Disraeli
"A conservative is a man who is too cowardly to fight and too fat to run."
Elbert Hubbard
"The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected."
"All conservatism is based upon the idea that if you leave things alone you leave them as they are. But you do not. If you leave a thing alone you leave it to a torrent of change."G. K. Chesterton:

Answer 5

Conservatives are the advocates for inherited wealth.

They are the lobby for the Paris Hilton's of America.

Answer 6

No. I am a construction worker and am conservative when I am hungry.

Emerson should have spoke for himself not others as it was he that was the man of privilege.

Answer 7

No. I am conservative and that doesn't apply to me, nor anyone I know. That description seems to be more appropriate for liberals.