Its much longer than I expected (I'm .25 of the way through), but so far a much higher quality read than I expected from the domain of 'the american conservative'
There is an intellectual foundation for many parts of conservatism; see Michael Oakeshott in particular as the leading 20th century philosopher of conservatism as a serious intellectual movement.
For the pro-market counter-case, see FA Hayek's Why I Am Not A Conservative; though I think Hayek later contradicted himself in The Origins and Effects of Our Morals.
