Conservatism Flashcards
Who are the 5 key thinkers
-Thomas Hobbes
-Edmund Burke
-Michael oakeshott
-Ayn rand
-Robert nozick
4 key views
Human nature
The state
Society
Economy
Thomas Hobbes famous quotes
‘Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short’
‘Promises without sword are just words’
Edmund Burke famous quotes
‘The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing’
‘Society is a contract between the dead, the living, and those yet to be born’
Michael oakeshott key quotes
‘The conjunction of ruling and dreaming generates tyranny’
‘Conservatism is a conversation not an argument’
Ayn Rand famous quotes
‘The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be the defenders of minorities’
‘Money is the barometer of a society’s virtues’
Robert nozicks famous quotes
‘No state more extensive than the minimum state can ever be justified’
‘Taxation of earnings from labour is on par with forced labour’
‘Any attempts at wealth redistribution is socially legitimised theft’
Thomas Hobbes
If left to their own devices human beings would naturally commit atrocities on each other
You must have a strong, brutal state and government able to manage flawed human beings
The state is justified in using coercion, force and violence to control us
Edmund Burke
Supported American colonists in the American revolution against the British crown
Horrified by French Revolution specifically rejection of monarchy
Michael oakeshott
Importance of tradition as a unifying force
Anti ideological
Believed in rationalism
Compared the state to a ship at sea - most important is to keep ship afloat not arrive at destination
Ayn Rand
Opposed to most aspects of state/govt
Promotes selfishness as a worthwhile value - said it made rational and ethical sense
Believed in complete right of individual over the state
True value of any society was how much wealth it produced
Robert nozick
Believed in small state govt
The only role of state should be to protect us from internal/external harm/threat
Compared taxation to forced labour
Compared wealth redistribution to theft
4 key values - Thomas Hobbes
Human nature: humans are driven by desire for power and without order life would be short and unpleasant
State: the state is necessary to impose order and prevent chaos
Society: the need for a strong, centralised authority to maintain peace
Economy:
4 key values - Edmund Burke
Human nature: humans are imperfect and need to recognise their limitations
State: the state is a partnership between past present and future generations-traditions and institutions should be preserved
Society: a ‘natural aristocracy’ should guide society emphasising the importance of family and local community ‘little platoons’
Economy: advocates for stability and caution against radical change
4 key values - Michael oakeshott
Human nature: conservatism is a conversation about human limitations not ideological struggle
State: the state should be a tool for ongoing dialogue and adaptation
Society: conservatism is kore about maintaining practical order than ideological welfare
Economy:
4 key values - Robert nozick
Human nature: emphasises individual rights and freedom
State: the states role should be minimal, limited to protection of individual rights
Society: people should have the freedom to pursue their own interests without state interference
Economy: a free market economy is preferable with minimal govt interference
Thomas Hobbes provenance - leviathan
-written during English civil war, it argues for social contract and rule by an absolute sovereign
- he wrote that the ‘war of all against all’ could be avoided only by a strong undivided govt
Edmund Burke provenance
-Reflections of revolution in France (best intellectual attacks against French Revolution)
-conservative intellectuals recast Burkes arguments as a critique of state socialism/marxism
-apprehensive of enlightenment
Michael oakeshott provenance
-one nation supporter as he supporter conservative PM Harold McMillan
- defending post war consensus
-detested the rise of Marxism
-his work always argues against extremism
Ayn rand - povenance
-Despises socialism and comminism because of her background
-critical of =FDRs new deal
-encouraged resistance to the growing power of govt
-atheist despite born to a Jewish family
Robert nozick provenance
-criticised liberal thinker john Rawls ‘theory of justice’ in his direct response by his book anarchy state and utopia
-writing In the time of the breakdown of new deal consensus in us and post war consensus uk
-writing at peak of Cold War - socialism unpopular and associated with ussr
Influenced by new right economists, moncur Olsen
Hobbes - economy
Constructive and enduring economic activity is impossible without a state guaranteeing order and security
Edmund Burke - economy
Trade should involve ‘organic’ free markets and laissez-faire capitalism
Michael oakeshott - economy
Free markets are volatile and unpredictable and may require pragmatic moderation by the state
Ayn rand - economy
Free market capitalism is an expression of ‘objectivist’ individualism and should not be hindered by the state
Robert nozick - economy
The minarchist state should detach itself from a privatised and deregulated economy, merely arbitrating disputes between private economic organisations
Hobbes - society
There can be no society until the creation of state brings order and authority to human affairs - life until then is nasty brutish and short
Edmund Burke - society
Society is organic and multi-faceted comprising a host of small communities and organisations (little platoons)
Michael oakeshott - society
Localised communities are essential to o humanity’s survival especially when guided by short term requirements rather than abstract ideas
Ayn rand - society
Society does not exist in any practical form it was ideally just a loose collection of independent individuals- atomistic
Robert nozick - society
Society should be geared to individual self fulfilment
Hobbes - human nature
Humans are needy and vulnerable people will compete violently to get the basics necessities of life and other material gains, will challenge others and fight out of fear to ensure their personal safety
Edmund Burke - human nature
Sceptical - the crooked timber of humanity is marked by a gap between aspiration and achievements we may conceive of perfection but we are unable to achieve it
Michael oakeshott - human nature
Most men and women are fallible but not terrible and imperfect but not immoral
Ayn rand - human nature
Objectivist - we are ands ought to be guided by rational self interest and the pursuit of self fulfilment
Robert nozick - human nature
Egotistical - individuals are driven my a quest for self ownership allowing them to realise their full potential
Hobbes - state
The state arises contractually from individuals who seek order and security to serve its purpose - state must be autocratic and awesome
Edmund Burke - state
The state arises organically and should be aristocratic driven by hereditary elites - reared to rule in the interests of all
Oakeshott - state
The state should be guided by tradition and practical concerns pragmatism not dogmatism - should be its watch word
Ayn rand - state
The state should confine itself to law order and national security - any attempt to promote positive liberty via further state intervention should be resisted. Small state is strong state
Robert nozick - state
The minarchist or right watch man state should merely outsource , renew and reallocate contracts to private companies providing public services. The growth of govt was the gravest contemporary threat to individual freedom
