How not to defend tradition: Have conservative theory begin and end with Burkean traditionalism

Sunday, cigarette #1

Before he sent it to the publisher, Edmund Burke sent draft copies of the Reflections to friends. One of these was Philip Francis, who wrote back that Burke would suffer embarrassment if he didn't get rid of his rhapsodic paragraph about Marie Antoinette ("It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then the dauphiness..."):

In my opinion, all that you say of the Queen is pure foppery. If she be a perfect female character, you ought to take your ground upon her virtues. If she be the reverse, it is ridiculous in any but a lover to place her personal charms in opposition to her crimes. [...] In effect, when you assert her claim to protection and respect on no other topics than those of gallantry, and beauty, and personal accomplishments, you virtually abandon the proof and assertion of her innocence, which you know is the point substantially in question. Pray, sir, how long have you felt yourself so desperately disposed to admire the ladies of Germany? I despise and abhor, as much as you do, the personal insult and outrage, even to guilt itself, if I see it, where it ought to be, dejected and helpless; but it is vain to expect that I, or any reasonable man, shall regret the sufferings of a Messalina as I should those of a Mrs. Crewe or a Mrs. Burke; I mean all that is beautiful or virtuous among women. Is it nothing but outside? Have they no moral minds? Or are you such a determined champion of beauty as to draw your sword in defense of any jade upon earth, provided she be handsome?

Here is Burke's defense:

Am I obliged to prove juridically the virtues of all those I shall see suffering every kind of wrong, and contumely, and risk of life, before I endeavour to interest others in their sufferings, and before I endeavour to excite horror against midnight assassins at back-stairs, and their more wicked abettors in pulpits? What! Are not high rank, great splendour of descent, great personal elegance and outward accomplishments, ingredients of moment in forming the interest we take in the misfortunes of men? [...]

You do not believe this fact, nor that these are my real feelings, but that the whole is affected, or, as you express it, downright foppery. My friend, I tell you it is the truth; and that it is true, and will be truth, when you and I are no more; and will exist as long as men with their natural feelings shall exist. I shall say no more on this foppery of mine.

Well, "defense" might be too strong a word.

Forget using tradition to justify things, conservatism since Burke has been knocked back to justifying tradition itself, and I'm not sure how much hope can be put in "Because it's familiar," "You mean you don't feel it?" and "Come on, could it have lasted this long if it didn't work?"

Tradition as "a way of giving people a way to understand the sacrifices they need to go through in a way that provides consolation to them and, perhaps more importantly, gives them a sense of meaning" (ELT) sounds pretty good — meaning and consolation are two things that it's difficult for an isolated self to generate. Also, it's difficult to consider a life heroic or tragic rather than simply of great interest to the person living it if the final curtain comes down when you die. Tradition, even after its own "Burke is dead, and we have killed him" crisis of credibility, is still the only thing with the power to pack life with things like inheritance and consequence, which keeps those acute feelings of your own absurdity at bay.

Well, sometimes. Wearing a bowtie usually has the opposite effect.