The Conservative Ethos… on Cornell’s Campus
The Clarion Call
It should go without saying that a conservative is not merely one who promotes the three signature causes of the Conservative movement: (1) A small-business friendly tax code, (2) less burdensome regulations on private enterprise and (3) limiting excessive government expenditure (less spending).
Undoubtedly, it is impossible and petty to limit the truly sweeping scope of the conservative ethos to the realm of policy objectives and political principals. An authentic conservative realizes that his “ideological” belief system is organically personal and palpable. It must, necessarily and unavoidably, inform and shape the intimate contours of his lifestyle, his work ethic, his world-view and the character of his deeply felt values as reflected in his personal choices and daily activity.
So it is not sufficient to merely accept conservative “talking points” on the superficial level of intellectual understanding. It is, instead, vital to gain a deeper appreciation of its spirit through practical application of its methods. Through persistently creative and industrious endeavor, on a daily basis, conservative principals become living reality instead of a mere collection of dry talking points.
Conservatism’s bearing on the pursuit of individual achievement in daily experience can be seen through study of its cultural ethic. In this way, the conservative ethos distinguishes itself from the rather nebulous and poorly-explained dogma of assorted ideologies, while securing for itself a reputation of concrete relevance for ambitious individuals.
Of course, for our purposes here, it is important to disabuse the term cultural conservatism of the rhetorical contamination to which it has been subject within the context of American discourse and the politics of fanaticism. The slimy and now fruitless debates over abortion and same-sex marriage might very well be cultural in form, but in substance they mean precious little to those who seek to apply workable methodology towards more lofty ends.
So what does real culturally conservative thought have to offer to the Cornell student? How are we to translate principals into concrete methods? What is the nature of the unique struggle we face in doing so?
Now for the screed: Our campus is a haven for the culture of behavioral decadence. Godless hedonism, constant distractions; the most embarrassing forms of excess and indulgence; wide-spread inebriation; playful consumption of cannabis; glorification of debauchery; the wanton sexual assault which is a predict¬able product of this culture; obscenely shameful displays of sexuality disguised as “liberation”; rebellion against social conventions just for the sake of rebellion; and aimless activity disguised by the cloak of countless (excessively numerous) and supposedly venerable student organizations (most of which could hardly justify their existence if scrutinized). All the while the veneer of pseudo-intellectualism abounds, with intellectual conformity (tyranny) predominating.
How does the conservative, indeed any individual wishing to stay on the straight and narrow path of personal growth, navigate through such an environment?
First—a spirit of resistance and restraint. By embracing a lifestyle of postponement of gratification, ascetic self-regulation of needless desires, and by willfully and passionately rejecting the trappings of both obvious distractors (severely limiting extensive exposure to alcohol and sensual indulgence) and more subtle distractors (needless social interaction), one might yet have a chance.
Surely, in fiscal conservatism we see the model to which each college student ought to aspire: strict adherence to control of consumption of pleasure in pecuniary, social, and especially sensual forms.
One must find alternatives for venting and vice, like the most vigorous forms of aerobic and muscle-building exercise. Instead of spending a night out carousing or gambling, one can find pleasure in a game of chess or a quiet game of monopoly. A game of pool rains supreme over a game of beer-pong. Now, while these cathartic remedies for the overly pleasure-seeking among the student body probably seem woefully unsatisfactory, and may appear to be half-baked remedies for the overly adventurous, they are well in keeping with avoidance of excess.
Postponing gratification enables one to gain appreciation for one’s own resilience in the face of the most severe temptations, and it builds faith in one’s own power of endurance. By setting a budget of anticipated expenses, strictly overseeing time commitments and controlling the number of those commitments, and socializing out of a desire for intellectual illumination instead of mere entertainment, conservative habits can be acquired. This must be done religiously, not casually.
What about freedom!? True freedom is not freedom to act foolishly and to take extreme license. True freedom is emancipation from the shackles and chains of one’s own vices! True freedom is resistance to the social pressures which glorify the culture of hooliganism, needless diversion and distraction as the utmost forms of desirable activity. Freedom is the opposite of addiction to intrigue; freedom is the power to submit vice to the stricture of discipline at any time, any place.
The conservative learns to ac¬quire a taste which yearns for this very discipline.
Hence, the conservative is content in the knowledge that he is completely independent of the vices which govern the behavior of his counterparts on campus and can control impulses as easily as they arise. He is entirely comfortable with his enterprising capacities as a student, and needs no fawning approval from social butterflies or any other posers. He alone is the author of his own spontaneous activity and champion of his own agency, not the mindless agency of the masses of shouting students at Homecoming. He relishes the opportunity to distinguish himself as a unique individual. He regards his own attitude of self-trust as the well-spring of his very own inspiration. This is the very essence of self-reliance.
Second – the spirit of the marshal ethic. Indeed, substitutes for vice must serve as instruments for channeling passion to constructive activity. Thus, the conservative strives to embody the marshal ethic and spirit, which is the attitude which converts aimless desire to constructive purpose, namely intellectual enrichment. When a student derives genuine exhilaration from the rigor of intellectual investment and the surmounting of challenging scholastic obstacles, he has achieved the height of fulfillment—fulfillment much more deep and indelible than a weekend of hooliganism could ever hope to surpass.
The marshal ethic is only cultivated through a program of habit and repetition. For example, the use of flashcards in the course of study, and, again, the use of to-do lists and strict adherence to hourly schedules will breed a spirit of rigorous repetition and without sacrificing the need for lively variation in daily experience.
The conservative appreciates the value of work for both its instrumental value and expressive value. Expressive how? By making work a chief source of his personal gratification. So class work is not merely a means to gain a few job credentials or earn credits, but a means through which he can access emotional satisfaction through work for its own sake.
But he also approaches his school work passionately and without procrastination—like his life depends on it—because he knows that it will cultivate a habit of rugged consistency in performance excellence and because it will ensure that he practices the science of harnessing that motivational fuel, at will and whim, which he desperately needs to overcome challenges that will confront him later in his career. But college work is less of an instrumental tool for career skills development than it is a means to learning about whatever weaknesses he may have for future improvement.
The marshal ethic also necessitates that every activity be approached as if it were singularly consequential and transcendentally important for the agent in question. It requires that spirit, will, energy, and passion be the sources which underlie every project and endeavor, not mechanically detached intellectualism. This is easily preached, but rarely done.
The ethic is also innovative, and makes due with insufficient resources—whatever they may be. So the conservative student does not merely aspire to be the next Ford, the next Jobs, the next Carnegie, and sees nearly every singular activity in which he partakes as not a mere training ground, but as an opportunity to actualize the height of his creative potential for its own sake! He may then indulge in success for the mere fun of it, instead of excess!
All the while, he maintains his vision: his present feats necessarily foreordain his future conquests.
Through adherence to these guidelines, the Conservative shines as a beaming example in the midst of his peers on the Hill.
Roberto Matos is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at rlm387@cornell.edu.