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| The Institute was established to honour the accomplishments and visions of two late Victorian prime ministers — one in the United Kingdom, the other in the Dominion of Canada — Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield (1804-81) and Sir John Alexander Macdonald (1815-91). |
| BENJAMIN DISRAELI, 1st EARL OF BEACONSFIELD |
| SIR JOHN ALEXANDER MACDONALD, GCB KCMG |
‘Circumstances
change through time, and prudence teaches that conservative principles must address themselves to evolving particulars, aiming for their best effect and perseverance.’
WELCOME TO THE DISRAELI-MACDONALD INSTITUTE WEBSITE.
The Institute was formed to promote my research interests in organic Toryism within a larger scholarly and publishing community. Disraeli and Macdonald are two political heroes, each in the One Nation Tory tradition; since their lives and achievements are inspiration to my work, the Institute was named for them.
DMI, however, does not focus on the careers of Disraeli and Macdonald per se; instead, its aim is to promote a vision of organic Toryism that owes much to their example and to the conservative theorists who preceded and succeeded them.
Organic Toryism, in brief, is the Anglo-Canadian conservative philosophy which emphasises the integrated nature of persons, whether individually or communally: in this latter respect, combining elements both of civil society and the formal organisation of the State. It also privileges natural, spontaneous activities to those which are planned or imposed. In addition, actions undertaken under the impetus of obligation are to be preferred over actions coerced by a central authority.
Organic Toryism may be considered synonymous with such terms as progressive conservatism and Red Toryism, except that it respects tradition and custom more than these linguistic cousins imply and is therefore more beholden to core principles than being progressive or Red may suggest.
Organic Toryism, for instance, does appreciate the value of a limited but effective State which is sometimes forgotten by progressives too credulous of State power, and understands that precedent and proven efficacy are values often derided by society’s Reds.
One principle goal of DMI — common to organic Toryism, progressive conservatism, and Red Toryism alike — is to reconcile what has become, unfortunately, conflicting priorities between the individual and society, and to serve as a conservative apologia for the State: once accepted as uncontroversial and complementary, it has now been either idealised so as to thwart personal liberty, or denigrated as being nothing but an impediment to achievement and well-being.
For the organic Tory, the truth lies somewhere in the middle: the individual, civil society, and the State — all play their respective parts, according to circumstance, in the realisation of the common good — a common good exemplified by the individual-communal dynamic.
The objective of DMI, then, is to explore the common good in relation to political philosophy, political institutions, and political economy.
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Following this introductory page you will read of the general philosophical tenets that are the foundation of my understanding of organic Toryism. My research revolves around two main disciplines — political philosophy and politics proper — with two corresponding avenues to pursue and support these ideas, respectively: the Young England Research Unit and the Centre for Confederation Politics (see navigation menu at bottom of page; scroll over link for description).
The Research Unit approaches organic Toryism from the viewpoint of theory, examining key tenets of conservative thought in Western civilisation, focusing on Plato and Aristotle, the Middle Ages, and the specific concerns of Disraeli and Young England, including the Oxford Movement. Contemporary political questions feature prominently.
The Centre examines organic Toryism in a practical frame of mind; that is, to identify the political institutions and traditions that foster, promote, and encourage Tory values. Especial emphasis is placed on defending these institutions from capricious reforms and ideological attacks (and, I hope, in locating kindred spirits in this cause).
Two additional components include an examination of political economy and practical politics through an application of the Austrian School of Economics and Catholic Social Teaching.
While these Tory themes in philosophy and politics are explored independently, they are also dependent on and complement each other, as an inherently organic and holistic enterprise. To borrow from Joseph Rickaby’s Scholasticism, my subjects realise ‘their unity in variety, and their mutual affinity in diversity.’
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~ S. M. MacLean
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DISRAELI-MACDONALD INSTITUTE ON THE INTERNET | ||
O
rganic Toryism is the political philosophy that prefers improvement to innovation;evolution to revolution;
necessary reform to capricious change; practice grounded in experience totheory-based ‘planning’ — principles and prudence over ideological rigidity — and is
a traditional understanding of conservatism that encourages the co-operation of
individuals, civil society, and the State in pursuit of the common good.
Last Updated: 01 September 2010
SEE NEW ADDITION TO DMI FAMILY: SIR JOHN THOMPSON SOCIETY.
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