Classical conservatism has been the default political ideology over the span of human history, though it has taken many forms including aristocracy, monarchy, military dictatorships, and theocracies. It finds the liberal idea that "all men are created equal" as patently ridiculous and contrary to the evidence. There is a natural social order that all people belong to and that societies should not attempt to disrupt. There are the few who are fit to govern and the many who are not. Classical conservatism is thus unapologetic ally elitist. To challenge the established social and political order is to risk catastrophe as seen in the decades of chaos and bloodshed that the French Revolution inaugurated. Its view of society is organic. A useful metaphor is that of the human body with various segments of society fulfilling different but important roles—the King the head, the Church the heart/chest, knights the stomach and peasants the feet.

Although classical conservatism is hostile to those who seek to leave their rightful place in society, it does hold that the state has a responsibility to take care of its weakest members. In feudal times this principle was captured by the idea of noblesse oblige. Because society is an organic whole, classical conservatism sees religion and government as inseparable. Religion should be uniform to prevent social fragmentation and the state and church should reinforce each other. As for the economy, classical conservatism's privileging of societal interests over individual ambitions lends itself to a paternalistic or statist orientation with regard to economic management.