Conserv - Essay Plans Flashcards
Extent conservatives agree on Economy?
- Agree on Capitalism - disagree on specifics of implementation?
Extent of State intervention
All agree on Capitalism as favourable system Vs. Disagree on extent of intervention
–> Burke - Markets are an organic evolution
+ Capitalism driven by self interest, fitting into NR e.g. Rand + Nozich ideas of Atomistic self-interest driven Human Nature
–> One Nation favour more Mixed Economy e.g. UK Furlough during COVID under Tory Gov.
+ vs. Neo-liberal deregulation, lower taxation e.g. Thatcher Privatisation of BA/ B Gas
Taxation and Welfare
Humans imperfect and driven by self-interest meaning limited - No welfare and low taxation Vs. View of Humans as altruistic means more lenient approach to welfare
–> Hobbs states of Nature - “Nasty, Brutish and Short”
+ Nozich tax as ‘theft’
–> Traditional and One Nation paternalistic more mixed Economy including welfare State
+ Oakeshott - Humans “imperfect but not immoral” + Cameron introduce Nat. Min Wage
Property
Agree on need for economy to protect private ownership of land Vs. Extent of property ownership
–> All agree on Economy protecting private ownership of land e.g. Burke ‘organic society’ and self governing society.
–> Traditional e.g. Oakeshott or Burke would be cautious to extend private property Rights due to this not following empiricism
Vs NR want to extend Private ownership to increase individualism and atomisation + increase liberty
e.g. Thatcher ‘selling off council housing cheaply’ party of Housing Act 1980
What Extent do conservatives agree about society?
- Disagree
Atomism
Agree on Humans being self-interested / imperfect Vs Disagree on Community vs. Atomisation
–> Hobbes Society without Social contract “Nasty, Brutish and short”
+ Burke Humans natures Imperfect, idealistic theoretical philosophies impractical
–> NR Rand focus on atomisation, society loose collection of individuals , and objectivism (guided by self-interest)
+ Vs traditional / One Nation approach
Burke - ‘little platoons’ self governing society
Camerons Big society attempts
Importance of Traditional Values
Neo-Conservative + Trad importance of Traditional values Vs. Neo-Liberal + One Nation liberal values
–> Trad - linked to Christian Faith meaning importance of church values of Anti-Gay, Anti-abortion etc.
+ Neo-Conserv - Anti-Permissive a.g. Anti-LGBT, traditional family values
+ Thatcher Section 28 + Major ‘Back to Basics’ traditional morality
–> Neo-liberal Rand - focus on atomisation and radical individualism
+ Nozich - small state should interfere in personal matters
+ One Nation - Cameron 2013 Marriage Act
Inequality
All strands acknowledge and accept inequality in Society Vs. Disagree over causes of inequality (Trad inequality based on hierarchy Vs NR inequality based on work/talent)
–> Burke ‘organic society’ contains inequality, inequality desirable
+ Rand inequality inevitable - States should not provide welfare state would leave people lacking autonomy
–> Disagreement over acceptable cause of inequality e.g. Burke - ruling call of hereditary elite is desirable, they can be paternalistic
+ Neo-Liberal - meritocracy (inequality based on merit)
Rand - Reject eilte rulership who use power for own benefit, inequality based on work/talent
What Extent do Conservatives agree on the State?
- They disagree
All agree on need for a state to protect security and enforce order Vs. who should run state
–> Hobbes social contract, give up freedom to state in return for security + Oakeshott state prevent bad
+ Neo-lib Rand - Need state to protect security to provide liberty
–> Traditional - belief in monarchy - Hobbes, awesome + autocratic monarchal leader / Burke - aristocratic government and society run be elites
+ Neo-lib - Rand + Nozich reject elite based society favouring meritocracy run state and society
State intervention in Economy
Agree state should support Free Market Vs. Disagree on extent of intervention
–> Neo-lib - Capitalism fits with atomisation extreme freedom and self-interest based within society - Rand laissez fair capitalism
+ traditional - Fits ideas of ‘organic society’ - Burke - idea of market transactions as organic evolution
–> One Nation - mixed Economy - idea of ‘little platoons’ focus on community e.g. welfare state / e.g. Furlough during COVID under Johnson
+ Neo-lib - deregulation and free market, Nozick - gov mediates economy but no intervention, Rand - no gov intervention
e.g. Thatcherism - privatisation of BA
State intervention in Society
Role of state in preserving society vs. extent of intervention
–> State intervention in society necessary
+ Oakeshott - ‘prevent bad’ state role to keep ship afloat
+ Nozick - limited state intervention necessary, even in personal matters
–> Neo-liberals - State extremely limited role - Rand - focus on atomisation and radical individualism - Rejects positive freedom + One Nation - Cameron 2013 Marriage Act
Vs. + Neo-Conserv - State large role protecting traditional values - Anti-Permissive a.g. Anti-LGBT, traditional family values
+ Thatcher Section 28 + Major ‘Back to Basics’ traditional morality
What Extent is conservatism a coherent ideology
- agreement over human nature as basis for philosophy, disagreement over practical enforcements of the ideology? - incoherent due to basis on pragmatism over policy
Human Nature
All Pessimistic to human nature Vs. Weather humans immoral
–> Burke - HN imperfect, idealistic theories do not work (unrealistic of HN)
+ Neo-Lib - Rand - Guided by self-interest
–> Oakeshott - One Nation - “Imperfect but not immoral”
vs. Hobbes Humans as “Poor, Nasty, Brutish and Short” - more pessimistic
State
Agree on need for State + State protecting security Vs. disagree on extent
–> Hobbes social contract, give up freedom to state in return for security + Oakeshott state prevent bad
+ Neo-lib Rand - Need state to protect security to provide liberty
–> Traditional - Hobbes, awesome + autocratic monarchal leader
+ Neo-conservative - state protect trad values e.g. Thatcher Sect 28
Vs. Neo-lib - Rand + Nozich limited State
Nozick - large state as threat to freedom
+ Oakeshott - limited state ‘keeping the ship afloat’ prevent bad, not create good
Economy
Reject command economy, favour capitalism Vs. extent of intervention by state
–> Burke - Markets are an organic evolution
+ Capitalism driven by self interest, fitting into NR e.g. Rand + Nozich ideas of Atomistic self-interest driven Human Nature
–> One Nation favour more Mixed Economy e.g. UK Furlough during COVID under Tory Gov.
+ vs. Modern New Right- deregulation, lower taxation e.g. Thatcher Privatisation of BA/ B Gas
Nozich - ‘tax as theft’ large state creates dependence + threat to freedom
What extent do conservatives agree about Human Nature?
Pessimisism
All pessimistic of Human Nature Vs. extent of pessimism (immoral or just imperfect)
–> Burke - HN imperfect, idealistic theories do not work (unrealistic of HN)
+ Neo-Lib - Rand - Guided by self-interest
–> Oakeshott - One Nation - “Imperfect but not immoral”
+ Nozick - acknowledges dishonesty + violence, but not main characteristics
vs. Hobbes Humans as “Poor, Nasty, Brutish and Short” - more pessimistic
Humans Nature Community based Vs. Individualistic
–> One Nation + Traditional - agree on community based society - Burke - ‘little platoons’ society of self government communities
+ Camerons - One Nation - Big society - giving communities more power
+ Nozick - small self-governing communities
–> Neo-Liberal - Human Nature individualistic - Rand - ‘ration self-fulfilment’ atomisation of society
P3 - Need for state to provide order, (combat HN) vs. Limited state - individualism
–> Hobbes - awesome + autocratic state to provide order and security
+ Nozick - state as ‘night watchman’ protect society
–> Rand - limited state - neo-lib + Nozich - state interference infringement on liberty
+ neo-conservative - Thatcher - state interference to protect trad. values
Extent New Right has little in common with traditional conservatism
- Neo-lib little in common, neo-conserv more in common
Human Nature
To what extent is conservatism a philosophy of human imperfection?
- One Nation + Trad is based on human imperfection, Neo-lib based on rational individualism
Human Nature
Pessimistic imperfect view of Human Nature vs. Neo-lib view of rational individuals
–> Burke - Humans imperfect (which is why utopian societies unrealistic)
+ ON- Oakeshott “imperfect but not immoral”
+ Hobbes “ Nasty, brutish and short”
–> Neo-Lib rational Rand - “rational fulfilment” views objectivism in human nature as moral
Traditionalism
Due to human imperfection ON + traditional emphasis importance of tradition Vs. Neo-Lib view of human rationality leads to emphasis on change
–> Oakeshott - state to ‘prevent bad rather than create the good’ only reactionary change
+ Burke emphasis on empiricism + organicism - ‘evolution not revolution’
–> Neo-Lib don’t have same regard for tradition e.g. permissive laws Rand - Extreme Personal Freedom - reject tradition
+ Neo-conservative backlash - importance of social tradition e.g. Thatcher Sect 28
State
Trad + ON belief in human imperfection leads to belief in natural hierarchy + strong state Vs. New Right belief in rationalism leads to limited State
–> Hobbes, awesome + autocratic monarchal leader in total control
+ Burke - State driven by hereditary elite
+ Oakeshott - need for state to prevent bad - from human imperfection
Vs. Neo- Lib - Rand - extremely limited state - rejects positive liberty
Nozich - large state a threat to freedom
+ Neo - Conservative - Thatcher privatisation of Energy + BA
What Extent do conservative’s agree with Ayn Rand’s view of Society?
Rand focus on individualism and self-reliance - conservatives disagree - very neo-lib specific view’s
Human Nature
Agree on self-interested view of human nature Vs. Trad + ON emphasis community focused HN
–> Hobbes - HN “Nasty, brutish and short” - ruthless self-interest
+ Rand - “rational self-fulfilment” with atomisation of Society
–> Burke - Society of ‘little platoons’ society of self-governing communities
+ David Camerons big society - funding communities
Economy
Agree on capitalism as best economic system + existence of inequality Vs. Extent of intervention
–> Burke - capitalism Market based Economy organic evolution
+ Nozick + Rand free market economics with limited government intervention driven by self-interested atomistic view of HN
–> Rand rejection of welfare state - fear it creates ‘nanny state’ and lack of autonomy of people + Nozick ‘tax as theft’
+ One Nation favour more mixed economy incl. welfare state e.g. UK Furlough during COVID under Tory
+ Traditional - Burke - paternalistic society - elites help / protect poorer in society.
State
Agree on need for State and State providing Security Vs. Rand argues for limited State + Trad + ON larger role for State
–> Rand - Need state to provide security to protect liberty
+ Hobbes - People give up freedom in order for state to provide protection + order otherwise “Nasty, Brutish and short”
–> Neo-Conservative - Larger role for state in protecting traditional values e.g. Thatcher Sect 28
+ Hobbes state as autocratic + awesome
