Conservatism
Belief Revision
Generally, a political and social philosophy that promotes tradition, hierarchy, and social continuity — though it receives criticism as upholding social and economic inequality, and as making unhelpful societal appeals to nostalgia and a romantic history that has likely been more manufactured than experienced.
Origin
Edmund Burke, an Irish statesman and Whig politician, is widely considered the founder of modern conservatism. His 1790 work Reflections on the Revolution in France critiqued the French Revolution and established core conservative principles: political change should be cautious and organic, and tradition should be valued over radical reform. Burke argued that "illusions" and "prejudices" are socially necessary, and he advocated for preserving established institutions. Though some scholars argue conservatism as an ideology wasn't fully articulated until the 1880s-1890s.