“There are many conservative forces in Korea, but there are no philosophical conservatives.”
The imagination that drives history begins with philosophy.

The reason conservatism is receiving attention today is because of the historical experience that both the market utopia advocated by liberals and the utopia of equality advocated by radicals have brought only despair to humanity.


Since the author established the academic and ideological roots of conservatism in “The Spirit of Conservatism,” conservatism has become established as an ideology.
Although there have been many books that have presented conservative political views, there has never been a book that has organized the philosophical roots of conservatism.
If "The Spirit of Conservatism" contained the author's intellectual journey to the question, "What is conservatism?", this book was written to easily introduce the results to the general public.

In the eleven themes this book covers—religious faith, conscience, individual independence, family, community, just government, private property, power, education, permanence and change, and the republic—the author does not discuss the policies of the American Conservative Party.
Through this theme, the author discusses what forms the foundation of our civilization and how true development and a vibrant life are possible at both the individual and societal levels.
Following the author's argument, we see that conservatism is succeeding liberalism and socialism, which once held the throne of the historical imagination.

(American and British politicians at the time) believed that humanity needed to preserve the elements of civilization that made life worth living, and to do so, they felt the need to establish some coherent system of thought.

--- p.9

You will discover a sound and proven conservatism firmly grounded in an understanding of history and human nature.

--- p.10

Conservatism is an important social concept for anyone who longs for equal justice, individual freedom, and all the lovely old ways of humanity.
Conservatism does not simply defend 'capitalism'.
But true conservatives resolutely defend individual property rights and a free economy both for their own sake and as means to a greater end.
These great purposes go beyond political and economic goals; they encompass human dignity, human character, human happiness, and even the relationship between humanity and God.

--- p.16~17

The only reason we act mercifully and justly toward our fellow human beings is because we believe that God's will commands us to do so, to love one another.
--- p.23

The real thing that makes people love life is the fight itself.
It is a struggle to bring order to chaos, a struggle to fight against evil and to yearn for righteousness.

--- p.30

The whole world suffered in proportion to the deterioration of its conscience.
Jeremy Bentham tried to reduce the significance of conscience to nothing more than enlightened selfishness.
Karl Marx declared that conscience only serves as a weapon for the exploited to incite guilt in the exploiters, while Sigmund Freud believed that conscience is nothing more than a guilt feeling that stems primarily from childhood misfortunes.

--- p.36

The perfect individualist is hostile to religion, patriotism, inheritance, and the past.
In contrast, true conservatives regard religious faith, loyalty to the state, established rights in society, and the wisdom of their ancestors as friends, not enemies.
(Omitted) Nevertheless, conservatives should be called individualists in that they believe in the excellence of the individual and the right of humans to be themselves.

--- p.49

Conservatives believe that the family is the natural foundation and core of a society, and that when the family declines, a dark collectivism will take its place.
Moreover, he believes that the family should remain the primary means of moral instruction, daily education, and a satisfactory economic life.

--- p.61

The state continues to suck up more and more of the country's income.
Production loses its vitality, and the state takes over and manages 'core industries' one by one, but inefficiency, corruption, and waste continue to increase, ultimately leading to industry's reliance on forced labor.

--- p.76

A human being without a community is little more than a solitary beast, as Aristotle said, or a crowd like the slaves of a state.

--- p.79

Jefferson called government a necessary evil...
In the eyes of conservatives, government is a necessity.

--- p.83

Conservatives in times of chaos and disorder strive to uphold the rights of a fair government.
A thoughtful conservative would turn to defending the individual against the state in institutions where political power is oppressively concentrated and strengthened.

--- p.83

Representative government originated from the claim of property owners that they had a right to express their opinion to the political authorities when taxes were levied on their property.
This is the origin of popular representation throughout Europe.

--- p.98

Some radical reformers argued that property was the root of all evil and that humanity would be happier if private property were abolished.
There are radical reformers who have declared that privilege is the root of all human atrocities, and that if social privilege were abolished, humanity would be freed from envy and unjust ambition...
But those beliefs were wrong.
The reason the unscrupulous sought to acquire property was usually because of the power it offered, not because of the property itself.
The greater reason they sought privilege was not for mere glamour or pretense, but rather for the power hidden within it.

--- p.114

If the only true purpose of life is the material improvement of the masses, and if this is achieved primarily through the establishment of conditions of equality, there is no reason to encourage strong private opinions or the development of a strong individual spirit.
--- p.129

Conservatives do not oppose progress per se.
However, I strongly doubt the claim that there is some mystical progress, some power of its own, that is necessarily at work in the world.
A society that is progressive from one perspective is usually in decline from another.
Conservatives know that any healthy society contains what Samuel Coleridge called the conflicting elements of permanence and progress.

--- p.145

Thinking is a painful process, but only thinking can keep ideology in check.
No dreamer has ever been refuted within his own logical system.
The only people who can refute him are other dreamers.

--- p.163