conservatism and society Flashcards
what do all conservatives agree on about society
the justification of social hierarchy
traditional conservatives on a social hierarchy
these hierarchies are inherited. Burke believed in a ‘natural aristocracy’ but with duty to the poor. each section of society has their own obligations, and we should “love the little platoon in society to which we belong.” The ruling elite benefits from the knowledge passed down by family members, but this gives them the duty of care over others (what later become identified as noblesse oblige).
one nation conservatives on a hierarchy
disreli believed hierarchy was natural and the rich had a duty to the poor through ‘noblesse oblige’ and believed in paternaism- that the state and the top of the hierarchy should look after the bottom of the hierarchy.
neo liberals on hierarchy
neo liberals hierarhy (and inequality) is the natural product of econoic freedom. hayek, (sometimes described as a conservative), agreed with this, ‘A claim for equality of material position can be met only by a government with totalitarian powers.’. inequality is inevitable and can only be solved with totaliarianism.
what do conservatives disagree about in society?
collectivism (based on fmiliaity as a result of human irrationality) vs individualism (humans are capable of reason and thus self reliant
one nation conservatives on collectivism/ familiarity
oakeshott- “To be conservative … is to prefer the familiar to the unknown, to prefer the tried to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible…”
traditional conservatives on collectivism
Hobbes and Burke believed in human imperfection. Hobbes: state of nature is to wage a war of ‘every man against every man’. life is ‘nasty brutish and short’. thus humans should stick to the familiar and known which is community, family, culture etc- it is the ‘accumulated wisdom of the past’ (burke) . thus we should live in collectives.
neo conservative on individualism
ayn rand, ‘i will never live for the sake of another man or ask another to live for the sake of mine’. she rejected altruism, and saw it as a violation of our rational self interest.
objectivism: persuit of self interest is the highest moral aim.
thus we should live as self sustaining individuals
similarly, thatcher argued, “There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families.’
what do conservatives disagree on in society?
pragmatism/gradualism vs traditionalism???
traditional views on a pragmatic society
Burke: ‘“A state without the means of change is without the means of its conservation.” Burke wanted to bring about natural change inevitable in society. To keep changing needs to occur. evolution not revolution very against that belief it brings about conflict and chaos. “reflections on the french revolution” 1790
neo conservatives?
john major ‘ back to basics campaign ‘ 1993 announced
