I've been reading through Leviathan and it's made me realize a few things about Conservatism (since what Hobbes espouses is essentially the theoretical foundation of modern conservatism): 1. Conservatism is not derived from religious values. Rather, Conservatism itself values religion for its role in social cohesion and stability. It's quite likely in fact (though he couldn't admit it at the time) that Hobbes himself was an atheist, and derived conservative principles from practicality and cynicism, not divine imposition of morality. Which leads to - 2. Conservatism is fundamentally about the emotional comfort of society. Due to evolutionary pressures and the resulting aversion to risk as a survival strategy, a great many people - perhaps most people - in the world feel uneasy and scared of the unknown and the unpredictable. Change produces hypotheticals and unknowns, and brings with it the possibility of states of being unforseen that one may not be prepared to deal with. Rational or not, this mindset exists widely and, if not soothed, causes much distress. Conservatism thus seeks to allay people's fears and uncertainties by making reality as much of a constant as possible by resisting change, promoting tradition and promoting religion (which answers questions we otherwise either don't currently know the answer to, or can't ever know the answer to). In the process it also promotes a stable and safe (and thus, to many, pleasant) society by enforcing social conformity - as long as one, of course, conforms.
