Conservatism Key Terms

Question 1

Change to conserve

Answer 1

This is the fundamental principle of conservatism and one that distinguishes a conservative from a reactionary. It indicates a belief that for something valuable to be preserved, it has to be continuously updated and maintained.

Question 2

Human imperfection

Answer 2

Drawing upon the Old Testament doctrine of original sin, this refers to the timeless flaws of humanity - flaws which make any quest for the ‘perfect’ society misguided and potentially dangerous.

Question 3

Empiricism

Answer 3

This indicates a preference for ‘evidence’ over ‘theory’ and tends to emphasise ‘what is’ over ‘what should be’.

Question 4

Normative

Answer 4

This denotes how arrangements theoretically ‘should’ be in future - a term conservatives disdain, given their stress upon the uncertainty of our existence.

Question 5

Progressive

Answer 5

Linked to the other ideologies, this denotes a belief that problems invariably have solutions and that the future must always be superior to the past and present - an assumption about which conservatives are sceptical.

Question 6

Hierarchy

Answer 6

This concept holds that equality of status and power is undesirable, that human affairs require leadership from a small number of individuals, and that the majority should accept their judgements. Hierarchy’s apologists claim that successful structures, social and political, tend to have an unequal distribution of power.

Question 7

Paternalism / noblesse oblige

Answer 7

These terms refer to the ‘fatherly’ obligations that a ruling class - or ‘nobility’ - has to society as a whole. It can take the form of hard paternalism or soft paternalism.

In the case of hard paternalism, it involves elites deciding what is best for the rest, irrespective of what the rest want.

In the case of soft paternalism, power still rests with the elites but elite decisions will usually be preceded by listening carefully to what the non-elites want, with perhaps a degree of consultation involved.

Question 8

Authority

Answer 8

This denotes a recognised right for those in/with ‘authority’ to make decisions that others must accept. However, among conservatives, liberals, and socialists, there is serious disagreement about how authority should be acquired and for what purpose it should be exercised.

Question 9

Laissez-faire

Answer 9

This involves the state allowing market forces to operate freely. Though strongly associated with economic liberalism, laissez-faire economics has been supported by both traditional conservatives and New Right conservatives.

Question 10

Thatcherism

Answer 10

Essentially a synonym for New Right conservatism in the UK. Between 1979 and 1990, the governments of Margaret Thatcher pursued a controversial mixture of neo-liberal policies (such as privatisation and tax reduction) and neo-conservative policies (such as strengthened police powers, curbs on immigration, and tax breaks for ‘traditional’ family structures).

Question 11

Tory

Answer 11

Along with the Whigs, the Tories were one of the two main parties in England from the 17th to the early 19th centuries. They were linked to themes such as authority, tradition, hierarchy, and religion. Following alliances with sections of the Whig Party, the Tories eventually evolved in the 1830s into a broader political grouping known as the Conservative Party.

Question 12

One-nation conservatism

Answer 12

Dating from the 1870s, and linked to politicians like Benjamin Disraeli, this term denotes a belief that conservatism should prioritise national unity by attending to the condition of society’s poorer classes. It has been used by conservative politicians to justify greater state intervention in society and the economy, and thus higher levels of public spending and taxation.

Question 13

Fascism

Answer 13

This was a revolutionary ideology which emerged in Europe during the 1920s and 1930s, finding its most devastating expression in the politics of Adolf Hitler’s National Socialism in Germany and Benito Mussolini’s nationalist politics in Italy. Because of its nationalistic and nostalgic character, it is sometimes seen as a form of ‘ultra-conservatism’. Yet its belief in radical and immediate change, its contempt for traditional institutions and local diversity, and its glorification of dictatorship also make it abhorrent to orthodox conservative values.

Question 14

Supranationalism

Answer 14

This refers to a state whose authority cuts across national boundaries. The Soviet Union was a clear example; the European Union is said to be a developing example. British and American conservatives tend to dislike the concept. seeing it as a threat to ‘one nation’ and the traditional nation-state. Post-war continental conservatives, such as the Christian democrats, are much more receptive, seeing supranationalism as an antidote to the legacy of fascism’s ‘ultra-nationalism’.

Question 15

Anti-permissive

Answer 15

Linked to the neo-conservative wing of the New Right, such policies seek to reverse much of the social liberalism dating from the 1960s. Neo-conservatism takes a critical view of issues like divorce, abortion, and homosexuality.

Question 16

Atomism

Answer 16

This relates to the view that human beings seek autonomy and ‘space’, which therefore leads to only a vague sense of society. Conservatives traditionally reject this view, arguing that individuals are closely connected by their communities. However, New Right conservatives are much more atomistic in their view of human nature and society.