Conservatism Flashcards
what is the traditional conservative view of society?
as if it was an organism/living thing
an organic societu is one in which is more than a collection of its individual parts
any attempt to reform these relationship or abolish the parts constitutes a profound threat to society and would likely destroy the delicate fabric of society
thus creates a radical social breakdown
the individual can’t be desperate from society but is part of the group that nurtured them
this reflect the dependent and security seeking tendency of people
Conservative opinion of monarchy?
Ideologies social change come and go but monarchy endured in its traditional form the people will retain a sense of security and continuity
They take a similar view of traditional morality based around the family
This helps each new generation hold on to a lasting set of values in an ever changing world, this gives them a sense of security which will be passed on to next generation
how have conservatives defended authority as it is a source of support and guidance?
Supports and guides people who don’t know what’s good for them
eg poorly educated or children
Authority naturally arises from above
Rooted in nature of society and all social institutions
Linked to paternalism
how did Thatcher and New Right oppose traditional conservatism?
society is made up of free individuals; it is not organic
excessive interference by the state is counterproductive, holds back economic progress and inhibits the development of a sense of self responsibility
traditional institutions may be challenged if they can be shown to be holding back progress
conservative paternalism denies the individual spirit of enterprise and self responsibility so should be curbed
individuals prefer to be granted freedom rather than rely upon state support
why have conservatives supported tradition and continuity due to historical factors?
It has been tried and tested by history
having proved it’s value to larger society by its capacity to survive: functionalist perspective
in this view traditions are more reliable than abstract theories as guides to action as they encompass the accumulated wisdom of the past: best aspects of past societies
thus it would be irresponsible to reject them for the sake of ideological principle or abstract theory
any attempt to do so is fraught with danger
“democracy of the dead” GK Chesterton
“partnership between those who are living those who are dead and those who are yet to be born” burke
for example the monarchy embodies historical wisdom and experience in asserting natural loyalty and respect above party politics
why do conservatives justify social hierarchy on the basis of duty and responsibility?
social hierarchies are desirable as they encourage duty and responsibility
noblesse oblige
a pursuit of social equality would be unachievable and undesirable
why do conservatives justify social hierarchy on the basis of social stability?
A governing class helps to maintain respect for authority and law and order supporting social stability
how are Conservatives pragmatic?
Political action should NOT be the result of conflict over political dogmas and theories
It should be the result of a more gentle relationship between government and governed
Engage in a relationship with the people that would allow him or her to reach decisions based on the intimations and traditions of community
what is organic society
A belief which became entrenched in traditional conservative thought in the late 19th century
Society is merely s collection of free individuals but is a a single entity like a living organism
we are connected through humanity and common membership of the same community
ideally goals and aspirations of individuals will coincide with the goals of the society as whole
privatisation
the transfer of state assets from the public to the private sector
reflecting a contraction of the states responsibilitiies
How have the conservatives justified private property due to personal identity?
Property can be seen as the exteriorisation of personal identity
“home is your castle”
like conformity in society, but private property express personality
Property is a source of personal satisfaction and emotional well-being as opposed to merely external objects, valued because they are useful
eg right to buy scheme by thatcher, don’t have to fall in line with local authorities, can organised and decorate property as you want
example of the conservative commitment to private property?
1980s announced right to buy scheme
tenants in council owned housing would be given the opportunity to purchase their own homes on preferential terms
owning property have people a stake in society promoting social responsibility
how have conservatives defended authority as it is a source of security and guidance?
authority is a guiding hand
It allows individuals to know where they stand and what is expected of them
need authority as we want to be led (seek refuge)
authority arises naturally from above similar to a parent child relationship
view that humans are naturally flawed as they are psychologically limited - security seeking and fearing isolation and instability
“boundless and bottomless world”
authority counters rootlessness and anomie
main elements of contemporary US conservatism
a religious and moralistic attitude to social issues
opposition to socially progressive ideas
deep suspicion of centralised state power
an attachment to pluralist decentralised democracy
classical liberal economic views
fixed view of US culture and it’s superiorit
Desire to speed US values and influence globally
A view that democracy is a core value that should be widely exported and applied
how has modern british conservatism ignored tradition?
since the 1980s
It had embraced new social theories :
economic modernism,
privatisation and
opposition to the dependency culture,
they have attacked some traditional institutions
eg civil service, church of england, legal establishment
however still resistant to excessive social reform
How have the conservatives justified private property as it gives people a stake in society?
It promotes social values
Responsibility
Respect for law and the property of others
This people are encouraged to be law abiding and support authority
By strengthening social cohesion, property thus counters the tendency towards anarchy and base self interest
as private property promotes an inter-generational links as it can be passed down between generations - promoting responsibility and a sense of duty
For example, Macmillan criticises Thatcher for selling off the family silver – privatising her nationalised inheritance.
why do conservatives support one nation principles on a moral basis?
The wealthy and powerful owe their social position (to a degree) an accident of birth
this implies both that a high social position entails social duties, notably those linked to ameliorating poverty and supporting the disadvantaged
the poor are deserving in the sense they are not there architects of their own misfortune
so they can’t rectify their poverty through simple work and self help
Paternalism
The concept suggests that those who govern claim superior knowledge and judgment over those who are governed
Rulers believe that they understand what is good for the people more than the people themselves
Derived from the model of parent and child
Adopted by Peel and Disraeli adopted this approach
property
the ownership of physical goods or wealth
whether by private individuals groups of poeple or the state
how does the conservative view of hierarchy interact with organic society?
traditional conservatives believe that is s natural order which each individual fits
it’s normal and natural that society is divided into a number of strays
hierarchy supports organic society as it creates order and stability that individualism lacks
thus there is ordered inequality and one who is at the upper levels of hierarchy are expected to take responsibility for the welfare of lower orders
noblesse oblige
on what grounds do conservatives justify social hierarchy?
inevitable
duty and responsibility
social stability
why have conservatives supported tradition and continuity due to psychological factors?
Established customs are psychologically reassuring, generating a sense of stability and belonging precisely because they are familiar.
It generates social cohesion by linking people to a common past, providing them with a collective sense of who they are.
This thus provides people with a feeling of rootedness and belonging, all the stronger because it is historically based – combats “rootless anomie”: nationality
Without tradition, there would be a ‘journey into the unknown’, with insecurity and uncertainty, endangering happiness.
Tradition is thus more than effective political institutions, it encompasses familiarity and belonging;
from traditional colours of letterboxes or telephone boxes to the judiciary’s insistence on wearing traditional robes and wigs.
why do neoliberals support a minimal state?
First, ‘rolling back’ the state unleashes the dynamism of the market, offering the prospect of prosperity for all by removing the ‘dead hand’ of the state from the economy – the supply of goods and services is reconciled by demand for them.
Resources are therefore allocated to their most profitable use and ensure consumer needs are satisfied.
Second, it has moral benefits in that it widens individual freedom and strengthening personal responsibility. Individuals are encouraged to be self-reliant and make rational choices in their own interests.
The market then acts as a mechanism through which the sum of individual choices leads to progress and general benefit.
neoconservatism
a modern version of social conservatism that emphasises the need to
restore order and authority
eg reagan’s war on drugs that herd hardline policing to riots
traditional o family values eg victorian values
to revitalise nationalism eg thatchers faulklands war
what key conservatives adopted a paternalistic approach to politics?
Peel and Disraeli
improved working and living conditions for working classes
why do conservatives justify social hierarchy on the basis of them being inevitable?
Hierarchies are an essential feature of organic societies
Edmund Burke developed the idea of a natural aristocracy
Conservatives have been strong supporters of the monarchy which embodied a natural social hierarchy
individuals have different characteristics and talents
on what grounds have conservatives defended authority?
support and guidance
order and discipline
natural and desirable
Burke quote on tradition and preservation?
No generation should ever be so rash as to consider itself superior to its predecessors
Reflections on the Revolution
on what grounds have conservatives supported tradition and continuity?
historical factors
creates stability
religious factors
how and why have conservatives justified private property?
source of security
gives people a stake in society
personal identity
individual merit
describe neoconservatism?
modern version of social conservatism that emphasised the need to restore order, return to traditional or family values or revitalise nationalism
How have the conservatives justified private property based on source of security?
- property is regarded as something to fall back on particularly in times of economic difficulty
- ownership of a house or savings in a bank provide the individual with protection
- belief that people are psychologically dependent and thirst for security due to human nature
- refuge, physical belonging, emotional shelter
why do conservatives support paternalism based on practicality?
The discharging of paternal obligations helps to bind a hierarchical society together
Preventing the poor from being so poor that they become a threat to the established order and its institutions
political elite preserve status reduced anger
disraeli writing in the time of european revolutions and domestic revolution that are violent in the chartists newport south wales revolt
why do conservatives support paternalism based on morality?
Traditional conservatives believe wealth and social position are largely acquired through the accident of birth
the privileged have an obligation to help those who are less fortunate than themselves noblesse oblige duty is the price of privilege noblesse oblige feudal tradition
this implies the poor are deserving of support because they are not architects of their misfortune
authority
the right to exert influence over others by virtue of an acknowledged in bligation to obey
what is the traditional conservative and new right view of natural hierarchy and authority?
This is an essential component of maintaining social order
the new right are more likely to promote inequLities based on merit
and question natural sources of inequality
why have conservatives supported tradition and continuity due to religious reasons?
Burke’s idea that inherited practices and institutions are ‘God given’.
the world was created and designed by God, society was shaped by the ‘law of our Creator’ (natural law: Burke).
if tradition is ignored and humans tamper with the world, they are challenging the will of god, making human affairs work.
18th century belief – since manmade universal suffrage and free elections, historical change accelerated.
This was a conservative idea advanced during and before the 18th century; since them, historical change has been drastic with old traditions being replaced by new ones – e.g. free elections and universal suffrage – that are clearly man made.
tradition
values practices or institutions that endured through time and in particular passed down from one generation to the next - inherited
established continuity between present generations, past generations and future generations
what key thinkers support order and authority?
Hobbes
Burke (in Revolutions in France)
Margaret Thatcher
what is the neoconservative view of the state?
support for a strong state
that had an influence that extends clearly into the social and moral realms
they believe that the state should be strengthened
natural aristocracy is
the idea that talent and leadership are innate or inbred qualities that can’t be acquired theory go effort or self achievement
paternalism
refers to the exercise power or authority being exercised over others with the intention of conferring benefit or preventing harm
acting in a fatherly fashion
most well associated with the one nation conservative tradition
new right
an ideology trend within conservatism
that embraces a blend of market individualism and social authoritarianism
Macmillan’s pragmatism
He continued welfarism from Labour and advanced the mixed economy, as well as labour spending commitments - despite the party being principally opposed.
For example, the establishment of the Childs Special Allowance for the children of divorced parents.
Macmillan was aware of the public popularity of the large state and realised that adopting this guaranteed electoral success.
Empire let go, despite the fact the Conservatives had always been the “party of empire”.
Macmillan noted the lack of public interest in colonised countries and the expensive and bloody events that were occurring.
Overall, most significant to Macmillan was that granting decolonisation would not hurt him electorally, as well as making social and economic sense.
what do conservatives think about inequality?
18th century
the idea that humankind is naturally divided into hierarchy - born in unequal circumstances - natural and inevitable
19th/20th century
It was becoming clear that society was more fluid than it had ever been and that people had begun to view themselves as individuals rather than members of a social clsss
1980s
had abandoned their views that individuals are unequal in terms of their abilities and potentialities
on what grounds do conservatives support paternalism?
Morally: social responsibility, noblesse oblige, feudal tradition of squire looking after presents
Practically: risk of revolt, small compromise and reform, reduced anger, political elite preserve status
eg after Chartists violent revolution in newport, south wales shaped disrealis paternalistic philosophy
conservative tradition and preservation quote?
EDMUND BURKE
REFLECTIONS ON THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE
“a partnership between those who are living those who are dead and those who are to be born”
[on society]
what is the New Right view of society?
this is a highly atomistic theory of society
influenced by neoliberalism
society is a product of action of self seeking and largely self reliant individuals
thatchers “there is no such thing as society”
this implies individuals should be given the greatest possible scope to make their own moral decisions and accept consequences
organicism
a belief that society operates like an organism or living entity
the whole being more than a collection of its individual parts
