In his landmark book, The Politics of Prudence, Russell Kirk outlined the ten principles of conservatism. These are listed below.

1. The conservative believes that there exists an eduring moral order.
2. The conservative adheres to custom, convention, and continuity.
3. Conservatives believe in what may be called the principle of prescription ("of things established by immemorial usage").
4. Conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence.
5. Conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety.
6. Conservatives are chastened by their principle of imperfectibility.
7. Conservatives are persuaded that freedom and property are closely linked.
8. Conservatives uphold voluntary community, quite as they oppose involuntary collectivism.
9. The conservative perceives the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passions.
10. The thinking conservative understands that permanence and change must be recognized and reconciled in a vigorous society.

So here are the ten principles of conservatism as seen by Kirk. From these, several questions arise that are worthy of consideration.

1. Which one of the principles listed above is central to an understanding of conservatism? Why?

2. Which is the least important? Why?

3. Is there a principle that you think is missing?

Most important principle: #6, imperfectibility of man, government, society, etc. The entire book "A Conflict of Visions" by Thomas Sowell essentially shows how all the other differences between left and right flow from this difference perception of human nature.

Of course, it can also be said that the belief in transcendent truth, rather than just in the material world, motivates principle #6. Hence principle #1 could be listed as the most important. Perhaps that is why Kirk listed it first?

The others are all important implications of these two, so it is hard to choose one of them as being least important.