Conservatism Flashcards
What is Paternalism?
Modern Conservatism promotes the idea that the government has a duty of care to the underprivileged in society and that society pay taxes for a tightly managed welfare state.
What is an organic society?
They view society as an organism that slowly develops over time in order to meet the standards of its members. Requires a degree of hierarchy in order to maintain law and order.
What is Pragmatism?
Pragmatism is the idea that change should only be limited and in response to developing circumstances within society, Change in order to Conserve.
How do Conservatives view human nature?
They see it is fixed and constant and therefore, politics should maintain not alter the status quo.
Thomas Hobbes
In his book Leviathan Hobbes took an incredibly pessimistic stance on human nature, humans are needy and vulnerable and therefore likely to commit desperate acts.
Before the existence of a state Hobbes argued that, human nature was dictated by self interest, restless desire for more and ‘natural chaos’.
Not all Pessimistic though and argued that people were reasonable enough to accept a contract that would lead to them being ruled by an autocrat. He was against the dispersing of power fearing further civil war.
Hobbes believed that a state was necessary in order to provide law, order and security in order to preserve a civil society.
Conservatism and Society?
Conservatives believe in stability, security and orderly rather than revolutionary change.
Conservatives see society as a collection of localised communities that emerge gradually and organically.
Conservatives adopt an empirical approach and argue that things should be seen as they are not what they can be.
Conservatives prefer a hierarchal and paternal approach to society.
Conservatism and Property?
Crucial to Burke’s ideals is a respect for property.
For Conservatives property is connected to tradition and continuity.
Rather than being acquired by individuals property should be bequeathed from one generation to the next. Partnership between the living and the dead.
Maintenance of property is symbolic of the maintenance of society. Those with property have a stake in society whilst also owing a duty of care to those who don’t.
Conservatism and the State?
Without order there can be no liberty. Order is maintained by clear undisputed laws that are enforced by the clear authority of the state.
The Main goal of the state should be to provide order, security and authority.
They prefer the idea that the state develop organically, unpredictably and without fanfare in turn being an organic response to the needs of the people.
Conservatives therefore often argue in favour of a hierarchal society which is ruled by elites who are trained to rule.
Conservatism and the Economy?
Conservatism defends inequality and hierarchy and therefore believes heavily in the wealth of nations.
Conservatives recognise that an attack on capitalism is an attack on property ownership and therefore are referred to as reluctant supporters of capitalism whereby they support moderate capitalism tempered by state intervention.
Edmund Burke
He had previously been a member of the Whig party prior to joining the Conservative party.
He was a fervent supporter of the American revolution however, was highly critical of the 1790 French revolution in his book Reflections of the Revolution in France.
In this book he defined numerous aspects of Conservative thought including, human imperfection, empiricism, organicism, tradition, aristocracy and localism.
In his book he condemned the French revolution for destroying the fabric of society, and blamed both the French emphasis on equality and the failure of French aristocracy.
Burke argued in favour of reform rather than revolution to change and conserve.
Believed that society is organised into platoons.
What is One Nation Conservatism?
It arose with the industrialisation and the class conflict that arose because of this, pragmatic way of prioritising national unity by attending to the conditions faced by society’s lower classes.
Michael Oakeshott
Seen as one of the most important Conservative thinkers in the 20th century.
He provided a fresh perspective on traditional conservatism with his book On Being Conservative which argued that Conservatism was more optimistic and less pessimistic than people believed.
He argued that people were indeed fallible but not terrible and imperfect not immoral.
His later book The Politics of faith and the Politics of Scepticism argued that the state existed to prevent the bad rather than create the good and that the state keeps the ship afloat at all costs.
Reaffirmed Conservative principles including a strong, adaptable, paternal but limited state.
What is the New Right?
Critics of the post war consensus argued that Conservatism had grown weak and feeble.
Neo-Liberalism was inspired by Hayeks’ book Road to Serfdom which called for an extension of people’s individual Freedoms through a rolling back of the state in order to create a free market economy.
Restoration of authority, National identity and Christian morality.
Ayn Rand
Foremost of the New Right thinkers that emerged in the 1960’s.
Her first book Atlas Shrugged argued that talented individuals were at the heart of a successful society.
She followed this up with The Virtue of Selfishness which argued that self interest and rational self fulfilment also known as objectivism was the core belief that people should be guided by.
These concepts became associated with atomisation which implied that society was defined by millions of autonomous individuals each seek objectivism and self realisation.
Her ideals heavily align with the concept of rolling back the state and Laissez Faire economics.
Robert Nozick
He rose to prominence after releasing his book Anarchy, State and Utopia which was a libertarian response to John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice.
He argued that the growth of the state was the greatest threat to individual freedom and led to a dependency culture.
He agreed heavily with the ideals of libertarianism and the notion that individuals should be left alone as well as minarchism which in part involves the outsourcing of public services to private companies.
He like Ayn Rand believes heavily in the yearning for freedom within human nature and therefore, its subsequent capacity for enterprise and innovation.
