In a 1993 essay titled “Ten Conservative Principles” Dr Kirk wrote;

Being neither a religion nor an ideology, the body of opinion termed conservatism possesses no Holy Writ and no Das Kapital to provide dogmata. So far as it is possible to determine what conservatives believe, the first principles of the conservative persuasion are derived from what leading conservative writers and public men have professed during the past two centuries. …

Perhaps it would be well, most of the time, to use this word “conservative” as an adjective chiefly. For there exists no Model Conservative, and conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.

The attitude we call conservatism is sustained by a body of sentiments, rather than by a system of ideological dogmata. …

Dr Kirk goes on to say:

It is not possible to draw up a neat catalogue of conservatives’ convictions; nevertheless, I offer you, summarily, ten general principles; it seems safe to say that most conservatives would subscribe to most of these maxims.

These Conservative Principles are (with links to the original text):

1. First, the conservative believes that there exists an enduring moral order.
2. Second, the conservative adheres to custom, convention, and continuity.
3. Third, conservatives believe in what may be called the principle of prescription.
4. Fourth, conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence.
5. Fifth, conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety.
6. Sixth, conservatives are chastened by their principle of imperfectability.
7. Seventh, conservatives are persuaded that freedom and property are closely linked.
8. Eighth, conservatives uphold voluntary community, quite as they oppose involuntary collectivism.
9. Ninth, the conservative perceives the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passions.
10. Tenth, the thinking conservative understands that permanence and change must be recognized and reconciled in a vigorous society.

What I have learned is that modern conservatism took form about the beginning of the French Revolution, when far-seeing men in England and America perceived that if humanity is to conserve the elements in civilization that make life worth living, some coherent body of ideas must resist the leveling and destructive impulse of fanatic revolutionaries.

Dr Kirk states “Our American War of Independence had not been a real revolution, but rather a separation from England; statesmen of Massachusetts and Virginia had no desire to turn society upside down. In their writings, especially in the works of John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, we find a sober and tested conservatism founded upon an understanding of history and human nature. The Constitution which the leaders of that generation drew up has proved to be the most successful conservative device in all history.”

The Conservative believes:

1. Individuals are governed by Moral Laws that have their origin in Divine Justice. We have a moral debt to our ancestors that have provided our freedoms and a moral obligation to our descendents who will inherit these freedoms. We have no right to tamper imprudently with human nature or the delicate fabric of our civil social order.
2. Variety and diversity are the characteristics of society. Uniformity and absolute equality are the death of individual freedom. Individual personalities, character and abilities are important for a free society to survive.
3. Justice means that Men and Women have a right to what is their own – the rewards of their abilities and integrity, their property and personality. Society is a great partnership that requires all to have equal rights and not to equal things.
4. Property and Freedom are inseparable. Conservatives value property for they understand that without property all men and women become subject to an omnipotent government.
5. Power corrupts and therefore Conservatives fight to keep power in the hands of private persons and local institutions. Power requires proper checks and balances. Centralization of power is a sign of social decadence.
6. Our ancestors bequeathed their wisdom to us. Conservatives know we need to guide our actions by the moral traditions, social experience and body of knowledge that we have inherited.
7. Society needs true community. Through churches, voluntary organizations, local government and a variety of institutions conservatives strive to keep a community healthy. A true community is a world away from collectivism and Conservatives know that collectivism requires uniformity and forced cooperation. Conservatives are public spirited and believe in providing variety and willing support to the community.
8. In matters of national affairs America needs to be an example to the world and not remake the world into its image. America has a distinct identity that stands for freedom and conservative beliefs. Our country has a moral obligation due to its stature to provide security and individual freedoms around the world but that there are different varieties of freedom. America is a part of the world society and not the driving force of that society.
9. There is no perfection. Men and Women are imperfect, which is shown by the varying abilities individuals possess. Conservatives also know that political institutions are not perfect either. Laws and government cannot solve the problems of this imperfection.  Common Sense cannot be legislated and it will cause more harm than good to try. Changes and progress must take the limitations of human nature into account.
10. Change and reform are not automatically good. Moral and political innovation can be destructive as easily as beneficial. Conservatives know that change is inevitable but that any changes made must be considered through the wisdom of our ancestors. Any living thing, including society that stops changing begins dying. This does not mean we have to rush to change and vigorous debate is important to identify and eliminate the problems a change can cause.

In simpler terms, a Conservative believes that:

Conservatism is not simply the concern of people that have great property and influence but is a system of liberty, security of person and property, equal protection under the law, the right to the “fruits” of ones labor, and the opportunity to achieve to the best of a persons abilities.

Conservative principles shelter the hopes of everyone in society. And conservatism is a social concept important to everyone who desires equal justice and personal freedom and all the lovable old ways of humanity.

Conservatism is not simply a defense of “capitalism.” (“Capitalism,” indeed, is a word coined by Karl Marx, intended from the beginning to imply that the only thing conservatives defend is vast accumulations of private capital.) But the true conservative does stoutly defend private property and a free economy, both for their own sake and because these are means to great ends.

Liberalism and modern radicalism detests religious faith, private virtue, traditional personality, and the life of simple satisfactions.

A conservatism of instinct must be reinforced by a conservatism of thought and imagination.

Our social and moral obligations to our ancestors must be defended and protected lest we let them die forever unknown to our descendents.