Conservatism Key Terms Flashcards
What is Atomism?
The idea that society is made up of self-interested individuals
What is anti-permissiveness?
A rejection of the idea that people should make their own moral choices, suggesting there is no objective right or wrong
What is Authoritarianism?
The advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom
Who was Edmund Burke?
Early Conservative thinker who wrote ‘Reflections on the Revolution on France’
What is Christian Democracy?
The European tradition of conservatism based on limited state intervention
What is ‘change to conserve’?
The idea that the state may need to accept limited change to survive
What is Empiricism?
The idea that knowledge comes from real experience and not from abstract theories
What is Functionalism?
Social institutions should be understood in the terms of functions they perform in order to sustain the social order
What is Hierarchy?
Society is ranked in a pyramid shape from top to bottom.
Who was Thomas Hobbes?
17th century philosopher who defended authoritarian government to avoid anarchy
What does the phrase ‘human imperfection’ mean to conservatives?
The traditional Conservative belief that humans are flawed in a number of ways which makes them incapable of making good decisions for themselves
What does ‘laissez-faire’ mean?
The classical Liberal economic idea, adopted by the new right, which believes the economy functions best without intervention
What is Libertanianism?
Giving priority to personal Liberty above all else
What is Natural Aristocracy?
The concept that talent and leadership cannot be learnt but are innate and inherited
What is neo-conservatism?
An ideology that puts emphasis on family, law and order and religious values
