Quoting Russell Kirk -- Concerning Prudence

Russell Kirk once wrote a brief description of ten conservative principles.  A sentence from his fourth principle, "Prudence," was so excellent that I decided to quote it in the Twelve Points, stating that sudden and slashing reforms can be as perilous as sudden and slashing surgery.

I would like to encourage conservatives to read the entire paragraph, however.  "Prudence" is the conservative idea that is the least apt to be written into a sound-bite or a slogan, and it is the one that enthused young activists, conservative or not, are the most tempted to cast aside.  It is difficult to become excited about "prudence," and, additionally, the word sounds like (and is related, etymologically, to) "prudishness," which I think most people find even less exciting.  This is unfortunate, because when a movement does not specifically remind itself to remain prudent, it naturally becomes imprudent, and when the movement becomes improvement, its reforms become less likely to succeed.  I intentionally wrote "prudence" into the Twelve Points as a remedy to imprudence, hoping that conservatives who read and embrace the Twelve Points will benefit from this reminder that even reasonable people would be wise to allow for the possibility of their own error, remembering that the consequences of their actions may not be quite what they imagine.

So, anyway, here is that paragraph:

"Burke agrees with Plato that in the statesman, prudence is chief among virtues.  Any public measure ought to be judged by its probable long-run consequences, not merely by temporary advantage or popularity.  Liberals and radicals, the conservative says, are imprudent: for they dash at their objectives without giving much heed to the risk of new abuses worse than the evils they hope to sweep away.  As John Randolph of Roanoke put it, Providence moves slowly, but the devil always hurries.  Human society being complex, remedies cannot be simple if they are to be efficacious.  The conservative declares that he acts only after sufficient reflection, having weighed the consequences.  Sudden and slashing reforms are as perilous as sudden and slashing surgery." - Russell Kirk

The paragraph itself is valuable, but serious conservatives should read more about the subject, if they have not already.  Specifically, on this topic, I recommend Kirk's The Conservative Mind and The Politics of Prudence.  Of course, it would also be a good idea to read what Kirk wrote in that article concerning his other nine principles.