№ 4 - 2006
Chestneyshin N.V.
Conservatism and Liberalism: Identity and Distinction

In continuation of the discussion on liberalism and conservatism, opened in A.Fatenkov's article "Who Should Rule: People or Laws? Masses or Personalities? (Apologia of Existential Autocracy)" (Polis, 2005, 2) and taken up by T.Zaytzeva in her article "In Defence of Russian Liberalism" (Polis, 2006, 1), the author here turns to the analysis of the axiological basis of liberalism and conservatism, arguing that values upheld by conservatives and liberals, have identical nature. In his opinion, the main distinction between conservative and liberal world outlooks consists in that liberals regard individuality as man's attribute, whereas conservatives acknowledge the said property as being possessed not only by man, but also by society. In this connection the author concludes that contradictions between conservatism and liberalism are first of all expression of contradictions of modern epoch, and synthesis of these ideologies is a necessary precondition of the solution of many global problems.