Conservatism Flashcards (JD)
What makes Conservative politics different to Reactionary politics
Reactionary Politics seeks to resist all change , to restore what has been lost.
Conservative politics understand that change is necessary and inevitable , but only when it is slow and respectable of the past , instead of being drastic and not contemptuous of the past
Which Book by Hobbes criticized human nature?
Leviathan (1651)
It argued that human nature was greedy , vulnerable and prone to commit destructive acts
What was Hobbes’s “State of Nature”?
A place scarce of resources resources where individuals would be solely governed by ruthless self-interest
What did Hobbes blame for the “natural chaos”?
The absence of any formal Authority and an unquestioned code of right and wrong.
What were Hobbes’ view on the idea of the separation of power?
He believed that if power was dispersed that the state would end up conflicting itself any attempt of establishing order would be rendered futile as a result
What is the conservative view of a hierarchical society?
Conservatives believe that the imperfections of humanity lead seamlessly to inequalities within human nature and therefore create an unequally (Hierarchical) society where “the wiser ,stronger and more opulent” establish sense of power and privilege
What is the conservative view of Paternalism/Noblesse oblige?
Conservatives believe that the stronger elements of society have a responsibility to care for the weaker elements of society. Conservative believe that this societal relationship is natural and often compare it to the relationship between a father and his child
What do the conservatives believe has the power to provide a individual their liberties/rights?
The State
Conservatives believe that the state precedes over society and therefore an individuals rights completely rely on the concepts of law and order that are imposed by the state.
Why do the beliefs of “New Right” philosophers such as Nozick and Rand contradict traditionally conservative views on the economy
The “New Right” believe heavily in the Laissez-Faire economic policy and argue that if the state is to become too involved in the affairs of the economy (too much nationalization) , “the state becomes flabby and it also becomes feeble” to the point where it can no longer effectively carry out its main function of order and security
Which conservative Prime Minister heavily adopted the views of “New right conservatism”
Margret Thatcher
Thatcherism became a synonym for the new right conservatism in the UK. During her time as PM she pursued a mix of neo-liberal policies such as privatization and tax reductions and neo-conservative policies such as extending police powers and curbing immigration.
