A Conservative Utopia? Chesterton’s Paradox and Example

Abstract

Utopian thought and political conservatism have traditionally been opposed, given conservatives’ rejection of a social order of perfection. However, the study of political ideas reveals the paradox that there exists a conservative utopia that stands in contrast to the progressive, imperative and prescriptive utopias usually associated with utopianism. Indeed, the ideas of writer Gilbert Keith Chesterton clearly exemplify the main tenets of conservative thought, which he uses in support of an historicist, distributist and religious utopia.

Keywords

• utopía
• distopía
• conservadurismo
• ideologías políticas
• filosofía política
• teoría política
• G. K. Chesterton