cons ignore Flashcards
Why did Traditional Conservatism emerge?
In large part as a reaction to Enlightenment.
Who was the main proponent of One-nation Conservatism?
Benjamin Disraeli.
Why did the New Right see a rise in popularity?
An argument that one-nation conservatism had sanctioned too many changes to the role of the state and had lost touch with true Conservative values.
How does traditional Conservatism view human imperfection?
In three categories:
Morally imperfect (selfish creatures)
Intellectually imperfect (reality is always beyond rational understanding)
Psychologically imperfect (humans are security driven and socially dependent)
What was the ‘state of nature’ according to Hobbes?
Human desire for power and material gratification, while being naturally distrustful of others.
Society prior to the existence of state.
‘perpetual and restless desire for power and power that only ceaseth in death’.
‘a violent anarchy where life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”’.
What was Hobbes theory on the ‘state of nature’?
Humans would actively try to escape that state.
They would form a certain social contract that surrenders some individual autonomy to a centralised monarchy in exchange for humans living collectively and without fear.
What was the premise for Hobbes’ ideas?
The anarchy that ensued due to the English Civil War.
Who is Edmund Burke?
‘the Father of Conservatism’
What was Edmund Burke’s main disagree with Hobbes?
burke: Absolute monarchies are bad.
What were Burke’s main ideas?
The organic society is not static and must be changed to preserve it.
Burke’s belief in human imperfection led to him rebutting most ideas from Enlightenment thinkers.
The Jacobins’ quest for the ideal society failed (they sacrificed social order in exchange for the human rights of Rousseau and Paine)
Burke was sympathetic towards the American Revolution (he thought the colonies had been completely misgoverned by the British government)
What was Burke’s main work?
Reflections on the Revolution in France.
What is empiricism?
The idea that knowledge and experience come from real experience and not abstract theories.
Why did Burke completely oppose the French Revolution, but support the American Revolution?
The French Revolution was built on abstract principles that discarded any empiricism and tradition for idealism that descended into violence and chaos.
Burkes believed the colonies had been completely misgoverned by the British and when they overturned the British, they did not abandon values, culture or tradition of the pre-existing society.
What was Michael Oakeshott’s work?
‘On Being Conservative’
What were Oakeshott’s main ideas?
Conservatism is as much as disposition as it is a set of political ideas.
Rationalism is beyond the ability of human beings because they are intellectually imperfect.
Due to rationalism being flawed, humans should put more stock in tradition.
Government should be grounded in pragmatism and empiricism, and not guided by abstract concepts of what should be.
Why did Oakeshott argue for the ‘politics of faith’?
Faith in rationalism is misplaced and those who act on the authority of their own reason will fail.
The implementation of abstract ideas leads to unforeseen consequences.
Be wary of making sure the ‘cure is not worse than the disease’.
What changes do the state enact if the subscribe to the idea of rationalism?
Changes are informed by abstract ideas.
MacMillan’s adoption of state management and Keynesian economics rather than the long-standing tradition of laissez-faire government.
What did Burke mean by ‘little platoons’?
Localised communities that retain their identity and enable wider integration within the nation.
Communities give structure to our lives.
What is ‘change to conserve’?
Society should naturally adapt to shifting circumstances by instigating small modifications to compensate rather than either completely resetting or refusing change whatsoever.
What is ‘noblesse oblige’?
The duty of society’s elite to care for those less wealthy and less privileged.
What do Conservatives believe about society?
It is inherently inequal, as there is a natural order in which each individual has his place.
Each individual has inequal talents and ability.
What did Burke believe about societal rule?
The aristocracy should lead as they were wiser than their inferiors, but they also have some level of responsibility of the lower orders.
Why did the New Right become popular in terms of paternalism?
Some felt that the poorest in society were so dependent on the state that the societal obligations of traditional Conservatism had been forgotten.
What does libertarianism emphasise?
Negative freedom (freedom from interference)
Minimal state interference
What type of society do neo-liberals believe in?
An atomistic society.
Who are the key thinkers for neo-liberal beliefs?
Ayn Rand.
Robert Nozick.
What is society in Rand’s eyes?
A collection of self-interested and self-sufficient individuals.
What is neo-liberal thought on human perfection?
They reject the theory of pessimistic human imperfection, opting to follow the rationalism of the Enlightenment.
What types of freedom do neo-liberals believe in?
Negative freedoms.
What is the problem with noblesse oblige according to neo-liberals?
It restricts an individuals development as it limits choice and prevents humans from learning from their mistakes.
What is the role of the state in neo-liberal society?
to oversee the rule of law and protect the rights of individuals from criminals and foreign invaders.
What did Nozick argue about tax?
‘Tax, for the most part, is theft.’
What do neo-liberals argue for in terms of taxation?
Massive reduction in tax and state spending as a moral and economic imperative for individual freedom.
What did Nozick say about the state and welfarism?
The state encroaches on the lives of citizens and that welfarism creates a dependency culture with the state ‘owning’ individuals.
How do neo-liberals suggest how we can ‘roll back the state’?
Deregulation and privisation of services carried out by the state.
Trade unions should have their powers curbed.
The individual should be ‘left alone’ economically, socially and politically.
The individual should have the right to choose anything.
The growth of the state is the gravest contemporary threat to individualistic freedom.
