Conservatism Flashcards
Key word:
What does authority mean
Those in higher positions of society who are best positioned to make decisions on society’s behalf.
Their legitimacy (validity) comes from being high up in the social hierarchy, and those below them in the hierarchy are obliged to obey
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What does empiricism mean
the idea that knowledge and evidence come from real experience and not abstract theories e.g. moral reasoning.
Things that have been tried and tested over the years to make sure it works.
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What does change to conserve mean
Society should adapt to shifting circumstances by making small changes rather than rejecting change outright.
These compromises will preserve the essence of society. If society doesnt change, it risks rebellion and/or revolution
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What does noblesse oblige mean
the duty of the society’s elite, the wealthy and privileged, to look after those who are less fortunate
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What does laissez-faire mean
A preference for minimal government intervention in the economy
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What does atomism mean
a society that exists as a loose collection of self interested (people who care about themselves and self sufficient (people who can look after themselves) individuals
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What does reactionary mean (use conservative key thinker)
Opposing change in a social, economic or political system and preferring the society to remain as it is.
People can also be reactive in that they would prefer things to stay the same and not change.
Oakeshott’s dispositional conservatism is a good example of this
Key word:
What does dispositional conservatism mean
The idea of favouring traditional values, stability and continuity in society.
It suggests that people are more likely to resist change and prefer established norms and practices
It highlights the importance of maintaining social order and the belief that gradual evolution is preferable to rapid transformation
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What does radical mean
Belief in ideas that favour drastic political, economic and social change
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What does altruism mean
The belief that humans aren’t born to be self-seeking but ca display sympathy for others and an instinct to help/cooperate with others
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What is moral relativism
Questions whether there are any universal values in terms of individual behaviour. This challenges the traditional moral rights and wrongs of conservative thought, which are informed by traditions and customs of religion
e.g. sex before marriage, same-sex relationships, abortion and drug taking challenged societal norms of behaviour since the 1960s. Many of these things would have not been acceptable in the past but are now today.
What is anti-permissiveness
A rejection informed by Christian morality, that there is no right and wrong which is seen as permissiveness’ by neo conservatives.
How do Neo-conservatives react to permissiveness
‘Anti-permissiveness’ is seen as ‘permissiveness’ by neo conservatives.
Neo-conservatives argue that sex before marriage, same-sex relationships , abortion are all wrong.
How do Modern conservatives react to permissiveness
Modern one-nation conservatives are more accepting of same-sex relationships sex before marriage and abortion
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What does organic society mean
Belief that society is not created but emerges and grows like developing a organism
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What does state of nature mean
the hypothetical way of life that existed before people organised themselves into society
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What does social contract mean
An agreement, between the people being rules and their ruler defining the rights and duties of each.
e.g. people of society gives parts of their freedom to an authority and beys laws and in return the ruler provides protections - rationalistic idea - shows reason and well thought out
This social contract gave the sovereign (leader) legitimacy to pass legislation as they see fit
Key Thinker:
What were Hobbes views on human nature
Hobbes has a very negative view of human nature: He argues that people are selfish and are individualistically driven by self interest (doing things that benefit them) not communal (want to be with and help others)
Human nature - humans are needy, vulnerable and easily lead astray in attempts to understand the world around them.
Key Thinker:
What were Hobbes views on the state
The state arises from a social contract between sovereign and subjects. Subjects give freedoms to an monarch by following the law and in return an authority gives protections.
Without government and the structure of society, humans would be forced to live in a violent state of nature
Such a state of nature would be a state of war a world where humans only cared about self-preservation (protecting themselves from harm)
Key Thinker:
What were Hobbes views on society
Society did not exist before the creation of the state.
The sovereign brings order and authority. An ordered society should balance the human need to lead a free life. Before the creation of the state, life was nasty, brutish and short. This was because people’s human nature is self interested (it doesnt care about other people.
The solution to this dystopia was order and this could be achieved only by a social contract between the people of society and the head of the state e.g. the monarch
Society should therefore balance the ned for order and the human need to live a free life. Strong authoritative government helps there to be a balance between freedom and control, if people have too much freedom everybody would go crazy.
Key Thinker:
What are Burke’s ideas on human nature
He has somewhat negatives views on human nature.
Humans are morally and intellectual imperfect - the need guidance so they don’t make stupid decisions
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What are Burke’s ideas on the state
The state emerges and grows like an organism.
Hierarchal in nature, the hereditary elites rules with paternal noblesse oblige for the interests of all. The state should change to conserve society guided by empiricism
Key Thinker:
What are Burke’s ideas on society
Society was like a multi-faceted organism (has many different parts) , communities, traditions, customs etc have a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship
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What are Burke’s ideas on the economy
The free market is the natural organic state of the market and the state should protect the laissez faire economy
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What does organic change mean
Organic change - the natural evolution and adaptation of an organization or system that occurs over time, often without external pressure.
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What does paternalistic mean
A system where people in authority make decisions for others rather than allowing them to take responsibility for their own lives
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What does pragmatism mean
The idea that emphasises the practical approach/application of ideas and the importance of experience in shaping knowledge
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What does rationalism mean
The idea that human beings achieve knowledge because of their ability to reason.
Key Thinker:
What are Oakeshott’s ideas on human nature
He has a somewhat negative view on human nature. Human imperfection - the suggestion that society is unpredictable and humans are imperfect
Human imperfection means that it is beyond the ability of human beings to understand reality
Oakeshott was critical of a leader that was acting on the authority of his own reason rather than experience as he believes that human ideas are imperfect so peoples should be using ideas that have been tried and tested
He focuses on intellectual imperfection. Decisions should be grounded in empiricism not rationalism
Key Thinker:
What are Oakeshott’s ideas on the state
The state should be guided by tradition and experience.
He was sceptical of rationalist state action. Change if it must happen should be guided by pragmatism and empiricism rather than abstract concept of what should be.
Government should govern in the best interests of the people rather than abstract concept of what should be
Key Thinker:
What are Oakeshott’s ideas on society
Society was like a multi-faceted organism (has many different parts) , communities, traditions, customs etc have a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship
Faith in rationalism is therefore misplaced in theories often simplifying complex situations
Rationalism and its ideas are worthless and humans should put their faith in long-standing customs and traditions than abstract theories
Modern society is unpredictable that’s why it is better for ideas to be grounded in pragmatism and empiricism rather than rationalism
Key Thinker:
What are Oakeshott’s ideas on the economy
The free market is a natural; state of he market.
State involvement should be limited to pragmatic moderation. State management of economic policies are underpinned by rationalism should be avoided because of intellectual imperfection
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What is intellectual imperfection
The idea that human reasoning and understanding are flawed or limited and therefore should not be trusted e.g. society should use practises that have been used for a long time - they have stood the test of time
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What does atomistic society mean
The view that society is individual (the ‘atom’), and that these individuals are self-interested, equal and rational
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What is negative freedom
Negative freedom - freedom from something e.g. being free from the governments control on the economy
Key Thinker:
What are Rand’s ideas on e.g. self realisation
Only when people understand the true nature of reality can they independently achieve self-realisation and self-fulfilment
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What does self-realisation mean
fulfilling of one’s own potential.
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What does self-fulfilment
a feeling of satisfaction that you have achieved what you wanted
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What is human imperfection
Human nature is imperfect and unchangeable.
People are flawed creatures and we must simply recognise that. Any ideology that says that humans aren’t imperfect to and tries to go against that will ultimately become dystopian (awful)
