British thinker Edmund Burke often considered the `` first conservative , '' David Frum says . Yet Burke would differ from the radical individualism of today 's U.S. conservatives , he says . Frum says Burke saw the importance of community , continuity and responsibility . " The American Revolution was a revolt against the tyranny of an elite that had been ruling for centuries in Britain. ( CNN ) -- Two new books show the need for taking Burke 's philosophy seriously today .
British thinker Edmund Burke often considered the `` first conservative , '' David Frum says . Yet Burke would differ from the radical individualism of today 's U.S. conservatives , he says . Frum says Burke saw the importance of community , continuity and responsibility . " The American Revolution was a revolt against the tyranny of an elite that had been ruling for centuries in Britain. Two new books show the need for taking Burke 's philosophy seriously today .