Were the Pharisees the conservatives or the liberals?

[Logos1560]

Through the years, I have been taught that the Pharisees were the conservative Jewish group while the Sadducees were the liberal sect of Jews.

In the introduction, Michael Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr., and Edward Cook asserted: "It is certain that the Pharisees, largely a lay movement and the liberals of their day, generally opposed the Hasmoneans. The Sadducees, on the other hand, were composed primarily of priests and as the conservatives supported the Hasmoneans" (Dead Sea Scrolls--a New Translation, p. 17). [bold type added by this poster]

Michael Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr., and Edward Cook wrote: "The Pharisees were distinguished in particular for their oral law, an unwritten adjunct to the Scriptures that claimed to provide the correct interpretation of Holy Writ" (p. 18).

Michael Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr., and Edward Cook wrote: "The movement arose among the religious conservatives of its day, whereas the Pharisees were more liberal" (p. 33).

 

[Ben1445]

I always understood it as you and contrary to your quoted author.
Definitions certainly have some bearing on it, but without defining terms, I would assume that the conservative view would hold to angels and resurrection as written it the OT. On the other side I assume that the liberal view would take liberties with those teachings and interpret them as freely as they wish, ultimately denying them.

Is there a reason given for his assertion of there leanings?
He did say “religious conservatives.” For a second I wondered if he was including political ideology.