Looking back, how often has social conservatism been on the right side of human rights and wellbeing vs social liberalism?

Black folks not being property, women getting to vote, gay people getting the same rights as every other citizen...these are the things that were opposed by the socially conservative and championed by the socially liberal.
These days the socially conservative like to label progressive social ideas as "woke" and this is meant to be a dirty word...but you could easily apply "woke" to the idea of treating slaves as human beings or thinking that women actually are competent adults who can vote.

If you're being honest, how often has being socially conservative proved to be on the wrong side of human well-being?

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CopperCicada · M

By definition, conservatism aims to preserve traditional social institutions and practices. Historically there have been, and currently are, conservatives who would really quite bluntly admit that people of color, women, and LGBT people should not have the rights that they do. Why? Because of traditional attitudes and practices.

But the thing is, conservatism isn’t monolithic, and people make choices as to which social institutions, values, practices, etc., should be preserved. And how they should be preserved. Liberal (in the economic sense) conservatives and libertarian conservatives are really not worried about people’s sexual lives and can be liberal/libertarian conservatives without being socially or religiously conservative. It’s also possible to be a social or religious conservative and spend a lot of time thinking about family and sexual mores, but not particularly be economically and politically conservative in the liberal or libertarian sense.

And it’s also possible to be a progressive conservative. To be socially progressive while being fiscally and politically conservative. Teddy Roosevelt was a good example of this. Truth— a lot of our “left” in America are really progressive conservatives. We’ve just recalibrated so far. Why? Because they advocate change. Just not so faaaaaaast …

Pikachu

@CopperCicada

Well you're quite right about the various ways one can be liberal or conservative which is why is specified the social arena.

Because they advocate change. Just not so faaaaaaast …

lol i'm not sure how true that is or not in this day and age. I feel like it's more a position in opposition to "wokeness" than it is a position in and of itself.

But as for the question posed in this thread, what do you think? Has social conservatism more often on the right or wrong side of human well-being?

CopperCicada · M

@Pikachu I’m pretty much opposed to everything social and religious conservatives are for politically.

Also, in their defense, I think a lot of progressives have lost their fucking minds.

Pikachu

@CopperCicada

lol it absolutely can get out of hand which is why i do think there is a place fo social conservatives. There has to be some pushback to make sure that a society doesn't just accept anything at face value.