What makes a consevative a conservative?

[Razgovory]

Simply pleasing the Gods does not make a morality play, anymore they paying your taxes makes a morality play.  Philosophy arose in no small part because of the deficiencies of Greek Religion.  This why you have Plato and Socrates talking about morality.  They are trying to salvage a system of morality and justice out of their religion which is mostly concerned in appeasing powerful spirits so they bring good things or at least not do bad things.  If their religion was already a morality play, they wouldn't need to do this.

[MadImmortalMan]

Most people seem to hold the political beliefs they do because of fear. This is true for left and right, IMO. We're scared that we won't be able to live comfortably without some kind of help, or that we're going to be attacked or robbed.


But I think the average conservative's worldview is informed a lot by guilt as well. It's why a person can be for capital punishment but against abortion. It's a question of guilt. The criminal has it and the fetus does not.

[crazy canuck]

Simply pleasing the Gods does not make a morality play

You miss the point.  How one pleases the Gods in Greek myth is the morality play because the Gods are so difficult to please and what pleases one God displeases another.  It isnt like christianity where there is one all powerful God with one set of rules (well may contradictory ones as well but that gets swept under the carpet).

[crazy canuck]

Most people seem to hold the political beliefs they do because of fear. This is true for left and right, IMO. We're scared that we won't be able to live comfortably without some kind of help, or that we're going to be attacked or robbed.


But I think the average conservative's worldview is informed a lot by guilt as well. It's why a person can be for capital punishment but against abortion. It's a question of guilt. The criminal has it and the fetus does not.

I think the goes back to the question of what an "average conservative" is.  If we are talking about Conservatism in its traditional ideological meaning then it is not guilt but concern that change will make things worse not better.

[Razgovory]

Simply pleasing the Gods does not make a morality play

You miss the point.  How one pleases the Gods in Greek myth is the morality play because the Gods are so difficult to please and what pleases one God displeases another.  It isnt like christianity where there is one all powerful God with one set of rules (well may contradictory ones as well but that gets swept under the carpet).

In the Greek religion you pleased the gods through sacrifice and not insulting them.  The Greeks didn't see this as a moral issue.  It was a like appeasing a human king.  That person is stronger then you so you flattered them and payed your taxes and they might reciprocate or at least not squish you.  It wasn't a complex series of moral obligations and each god had a different idea of justice.  The entire lack of justice bothered the classical Greeks to no end.  Take for example the story of the Judgment of Paris.  Paris is asked to judge which of three goddesses is the most beautiful.  Instead of actually being allowed to judge which is the fairest, all three offer him bribes.    After words the the two goddesses that lose conspire against Paris and see him and his city destroyed.  There is no morality or justice here.  These are simply the acts of a more powerful being exerting it's influence on lesser beings.