10.2 Neo-conservatism Flashcards
What 2 things are neo-conservatives concerned with?
- Maintaining organic society from social fragmentation
- Upholding public morality and authoritarian law and order
NEO-CONSERVATISM, STATE AND SOCIETY: A FEAR OF SOCIAL FRAGMENTATION
NEO-CONSERVATISM, STATE AND SOCIETY: A FEAR OF SOCIAL FRAGMENTATION
What do neo-conservatives celebrate capitalism as?
The natural economic condition
What does the free market not provide?
A set of values on which to base a society
What are core conservatives values neo-conservatives have criticised neo-liberals for not upholding?
Religion, tradition and societal responsibility
What did Irving Kristol argue about the secular rejection of religion in the West?
It depleted the moral and spiritual stock that binds society
What do neo-conservatives value that neo-liberals do not?
Organic society
What do neo-conservatives fundamentally reject?
The neo-liberal vision of atomistic individualism, which undermines core societal values
What do neo-conservatives argue about the welfare reforms of the ‘Great Society’ in the USA and the postwar consensus in the UK?
A dependency culture was created
What do neo-conservatives share doubts with traditional conservatives on?
The morality of human nature
What do neo-conservatives argue for in regards to the welfare state?
There should be a safety net for those who are genuinely struggling, but not handouts that erode individual responsibility
What was Thatcher’s attempt to remodel the welfare state?
Her ‘right to buy’ council houses scheme
What do neo-conservatives promote?
Traditional family structures via taxation and means-tested benefit systems
What act was passed by the UK Government in 2012 which was designed to ween benefit claimants off state reliance by incentivising them to go back to work?
Welfare Reform Act 2012
NEO-CONSERVATISM: PUBLIC MORALITY AND AUTHORITARIAN LAW AND ORDER
NEO-CONSERVATISM: PUBLIC MORALITY AND AUTHORITARIAN LAW AND ORDER
What is ‘anti-permissiveness’?
The rejection that there is no right and wrong
What things do neo-conservatives argue are wrong?
- Sex before marriage
- Homosexuality
- Abortion
- Recreational drug taking
What do neo-conservatives argue Western society has become after the rejection of communal customs and values?
A materialistic moral vacuum that ignores the ethical rights and wrongs of Christian society
Why are neo-conservatives pro-religion?
It counters moral nihilism (the meta-ethical view that nothing is morally right or wrong)
What do neo-conservatives support in regards to law and order?
A tough approach
What is a Ronald Reagan quote about American debt?
‘We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much’
What is a Ronald Reagan quote about government intervention?
‘The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help’
What is a Ronald Reagan quote about religion and solving problems?
‘Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face’
What is a Ronald Reagan quote about abortion?
‘I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born’
