Are you Republican or Democrat? Maybe you are conservative or liberal? What do these terms mean and how did they start? Classical conservatism is defined as “a political philosophy emphasizing the necessity of the principles of natural law and the transcendent moral order.” (Frohnen, Beer and Nelson, 2006) Classical liberalism is described as "a philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government and freedom of individuals, including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and the free market. (Hudelson, 1999) These two ideas shaped our philosophies and our parties for centuries to come. These philosophies were made possible by many brilliant men of the time like Edmund Burke, John Adams, John Locke, and Adam Smith. Classical conservatism or traditional conservatism, Burkean conservatism and Toryism, is a party which has reexpressed its beliefs to adapt to the situation. time. (Frohnen, Beer and Nelson, 2006) In classical conservatism, many parties have adapted their views. One of the first American parties to adapt the philosophies of conservatism was the Whigs. The Whigs opposed monarchical power, advocated internal reform of the administration and freedom before the law. They believed in the balance between common wealth and religious tolerance. (Kirk, 1953) Edmund Burke is a person highly recognized for his work in the public sector in support of conservatism. Edmund Burke was born on January 12, 1729 in Dublin, Ireland, and died on July 9, 1797 in Beaconsfield, England. (Lock, 1999) During his sixty-eight years, he was a very intelligent and good man; He was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher. Edmund Burke was known for supporting the American Revolution but opposing the Fr...... middle of paper ...... solid conservatives are afraid of it, but they know it is necessary with certain restrictions, or as modern liberals I would say: “safety nets, lots and lots of safety nets.” Classical liberals love the free market system because of what it can do for the economy and society. Classical liberalism and classical conservatism are closely related, as seen by Edmund Burke, admired for his political philosophies derived from both classical liberalism and classical conservatism. Yet no matter the group of people, not everyone will agree and parties will form over even a minor issue. Consider the Christian faith, there are many different denominations due to their beliefs in minor doctrines, but they all believe that Jesus is the Son of God, just as classical liberals and classical conservatives believe in the Constitution. So what party are you at??