Conservatism Flashcards
What are the key principles of conservatism x6?
Pragmatism Tradition Human imperfection Organic society Paternalism Libertarianism
Describe pragmatism:
“A flexible approach to decision-making”
Associated with traditional and one nation conservatism
Burke
Emergence of one nation conservatism a good example of pragmatism in action
Describe tradition:
“Accumulated wisdom of past societies and a connection between the generations”
Conservatives believe tradition provides human beings with the ability to make sense of society and their place within it – long established institutions provide stability eg monarchy
Describe human imperfection:
“Human beings are flawed and therefore incapable of making good decisions for themselves”
Pessimistic view of human nature
Oakeshott argued that because humans are flawed, they can only live in an organic society
People are innately selfish and greedy
Describe the organic society:
“Society operates as a living organism: the whole is more important than any individual parts
Social cohesion over atomism
Need for authority and hierarchy
Paternalism – inequality is inevitable, but it is the duty for the advantaged to look after others
Describe paternalism:
“Benign power exerted from above; the state governing in the interests of the people”
Based on idea that wisdom and experience are unevenly distributed
Describe libertarianism:
“Uphold liberty by maximising autonomy and freedom of choice”
Direct contrast to paternalism, associated with neoliberalism
Libertarians support individual liberty, maximum economic freedom, minimum state regulation
Reject welfare programmes as they undermine initiative
What are the different strands of conservatism?
Traditional conservatism
One nation conservatism
The New Right
Describe traditional conservatism:
Emerged in the late 18th century
Edmund Burke
- Support for traditional institutions (church, monarchy)
- Pragmatism
- Commitment to gradual, cautious change over reform
- Hierarchy + paternalism
Describe one nation conservatism:
Emerged in the late 19th century Disraeli = ‘founder’ - Support traditional institutions - Pragmatic, ‘reform to preserve’ - Paternalism - Imperialism – Disraeli believed building a British Empire would strengthen patriotism
What are the differences between traditional and one nation conservatives: on the issues of the state and the economy
- One nation conservatives believe the state must intervene to ‘smooth out the rough edges” of laissez-faire capitalism
- One nation conservatives worried if there was “two nations” in Britain, this could result in conflict so Disraeli introduced social reform (housing and factory reform)
Describe the New Right:
Emerged in the 1970s
Blend of neoliberal and neoconservative thinking with 2 distinct strands
The New Right – describe neoliberalism:
Minimal state due to belief in individual liberty
Support for free market capitalism and Adam Smith
Critical of Keynesianism
Favour privatisation and support tax cuts
Negative freedom – rolling back the state
Don’t agree with organic state but prefer atomism and believe in egoistical individualism
International and pro-globalisation
Meritocracy
The New Right – describe neoconservatism:
Reassert the moral foundations of politics with ‘Victorian values’
Believe the state has an important role in providing authority (opposes neoliberalism) and prefers the organic society and hierarchy
Tough on law and order
Not paternalistic but instead society should be strengthened through discipline
Believe patriotism and nationalism can bind society – monocultural civic identity
Anti-globalisation
Who are the key conservative thinkers?
Thomas Hobbes (17th century) Edmund Burke (18th century) Michael Oakeshott (20th century) Ayn Rand (20th century) Robert Nozick (20th century)
Describe Hobbes:
Leviathan (1651) defends absolutist government
Pessimistic view on human nature and belief in authority
Argued state is crucial to establish order, a classless society ‘state of nature’ would be ‘poor, nasty, brutish’
Believed humans weren’t completely irrational and would eventually agree to a ‘social contract’ – agree to state making laws to protect them
Believed in an autocratic state (dictatorship)
Describe Burke:
Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790) – opposed French revolution and favoured pragmatism rather than idealism
Believed inheritance and tradition form the basis of a stable society
Stressed human imperfection
Organic society “change is only necessary in order to preserve”
Supported views of Adam Smith arguing market forces are a form of ‘natural law’
Emphasised trusteed model of representation – representatives use own judgements
Describe Oakeshott:
On Being Conservative likened a society with too much freedom as a ship ‘lost at sea’
Pragmatic and non-ideological
Opposed reform
Attacked rationalism as it threatened culture and tradition
Believed government should be a “specific and limited activity”
Describe Rand:
Emphasised importance of individual liberty
‘New Right’ thinker
Focus on the individual over the state for a thriving society
Viewed selfishness as a strength – objectivism
Atomism
Defended laissez-faire capitalism
Supported very limited government
Libertarian on social issues eg right to choose
Describe Nozick:
‘New Right’
Self-ownership = people have a moral right to keep what they produce
Entitlement theory of justice takes certain rights to be inalienable (can’t be taken away) eg property rights
Described welfare and redistribution as theft
Opposed egalitarianism as focusing on equality of outcome will always result in unjust state interference
Permissive society – people have the right to act as they want even if it causes harm
‘Minarchist’ – tiny bit of government
What areas to do with the economy do conservatives agree on?
All conservatives are pro-capitalism and in favour of the free market
They all prioritise the protection of private property: traditional conservatives believe it leads to stability and security whereas neoliberals believe property is earned through merit so is an important incentive
What areas to do with the economy do conservatives disagree on?
- Traditional v New Right
Traditional conservatives have fears about unregulated capitalism preferring order and stability therefore to some extent trad conservatives are ‘reluctant’ supporters of capitalism eg Hobbes
Neoliberals support true laissez-faire economics, influenced by Friedman and Hayek, in support of the free market to achieve prosperity
Eg Rand and Nozick - One nation v New Right
One nation conservatives have embraced moderated capitalism, aiming to ‘smooth and rough off’ the edges, support for Keynesian economics (tax &spend/welfare projects), mixed economy
New Right oppose the mixed economy and support large-scale privatisation
Regard taxation as a barrier to enterprise and highly critical of Keynesianism
Eg Rand and Nozick
What areas to do with the society do conservatives agree on?
All conservatives believe that property underpins society (including neoliberals)
Traditional, one nation and neoconservative agree:
On a pessimistic view of society
Hierarchy NOT meritocracy
Organic society = not all equal but still important
Traditional society eg church, family values
Society is a collection of ‘little platoons’ – Burke
What areas to do with the society do conservatives disagree on?
- Neoliberals v other conservatives
Neoliberals do not believe in tradition but instead favour a permissive society – disregard for church, monarchy
Nozick and Rand both atheists
Libertarian view - Neoliberals v other conservatives
Neoliberals do not believe in hierarchy but instead meritocracy due to rejecting the idea of human imperfection
Do not agree with an organic society
Atomism as opposed to Burke’s idea of ‘little platoons’ – Rand’s ideas of objectivism
