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The term “conservative” is being thrown around with abandon these days and at times is indiscriminately used in reference to xenophobic or anti-feminist attitudes.
 
The first use of the term in a political context was at the time of the French Revolution when it was applied to those who criticized the revolt. In time, usage of the term expanded to encompass those opposed to socialists and liberals supporting big government. Conservatism functioned as a means of restraint to hold back those promoting radical reform in the name of abstract concepts like human rights.
 
Today, however, radicalism has lost its momentum, depriving conservatism of its foil, to the extent that even conservatives perhaps no longer know what they stand for. The result has been an unending inflation of the word “conservatism” and the objective of this book is to put a stop to that.
 
Protect what needs to be protected but change what needs to be changed; that is the core value of conservatism. Rather than ignoring reality in the name of some abstract concept and trying to remake society from scratch, true conservatism builds on historical foundations, applying what can still be applied and reforming what needs to be reformed. I fear, however, that the deep insight into the past and pragmatic outlook that were the trademarks of conservative wisdom are being lost.
 
In speaking of conser