Conservatism - Strands Flashcards
Traditional Conservatism (old)
- Burke (1729-97): Criticises the French Revolution - human nature isn’t guided by reason. There is no perfect society (human imperfection). Political change should be undertaken with great caution and should be done organically. Tradition and empiricism - Practices passed down from generations should be respected.
- “Society is but a contract between the dead, the living and those yet to be born. We must therefore construct civilisation by giving weight to our ancestors, ourselves and those still to be born” - Society needs to reflect the past.
- The principles of Conservatism are grounded in a reaction to the French Revolution of 1789.
Core Conservative belief ‘change to conserve’; this was applied in the UK by a series of ‘enlightened Tory’ governments in the early 19th century - governments who sought to avert the spread of revolutionary ideas by embracing moderate reforms.
Key traditional conservatives
- George Canning (1770-1827): as PM prepared legislation that allowed Roman Catholics to participate in Parliament, he also advertised for the abolition of slavery, arguing that it brought property ownership into disrepute, as well as supporting the requests for independence from Latin American countries. All of these support Canning’s support for the American Revolution in 1776.
- Robert Peel (1788-1850): he sought to harness the interests of the new merchant and business classes to Britain’s traditional constitutional and society; he supported the Great Reform Act of 1832, as a result ensuring representation at Westminster for the new industrial towns
One-Nation Conservatism
- New themes/ideas to ensure social cohesion and orderly change
- ‘The nation’ was seen as anti-imperialist and anti-monarchist until its emergence
- Society’s classes were all a part of the same national ‘family’ so has an interest in defending it
- Aristocracy has a paternalistic duty to ‘elevate the condition of the people’
- Endorsed state-sponsored social reform
- Has been used by conservative politicians to justify greater state intervention in the economy
Key Thinkers/figures:
- Benjamin Disraeli (1804-81), British Politician
- Otto Von Bismarck (1815-98), German Politician
Criticisms of One-nation conservatism
- One nation conservatism became associated with legislation that affected laissez-faire capitalism, in favour of the working class
- Factory Act 1874 and Artisan Dwellings Act 1875 restricted freedom of factory owners and landlords
- Bismarck’s (1871-90) conservatism imposed tariffs and import controls
Traditional Conservatism in response to fascism and egalitarianism
Two seismic events:
- Socialism and communism after WW1
- Emergence of fascism before WW2
Summary and Key Events:
- There existed a conservative fear of egalitarianism due to the extension of franchise, 1918 (more w/c voters) and the accelerated growth of the newly established Labour Party
- Led to a general feeling that socialism and communism was inevitable unless political action was taken
- A ‘middle way’ between capitalism & socialism developed & became embraced by conservatives:
- This addressed economic inequalities
- But also respected property rights, cultural tradition, national identity, etc.
- 1935 - 1937: Conservative politicians supported Public Health, Housing and Factory Acts in the name of ‘one nation’
- After 1945: State intervention had therefore increased to pave way for this new Keynesian approach to the economy (mixed economy)
Motivations:
- Very opportunist and pragmatic: A shift to balance between capitalism and socialism would win working-class and non-property owning voters
- Keynesian principles: According to R.A Butler, 1971, argued that the new conservative support for ‘state welfare’ were ‘updated expressions of our belief in one-nation and paternalism’
What is fascism?
Fascism: emerged in Europe in 1920s and the 1930s, by Adolf Hitler and Mussolini.
- Can be seen as a form of ‘ultra conservatism’
- Completely different to orthodox, due to the want for immediate change and the glorification of dictatorship.
Christian Democracy
Supranationalism - a state whose authority cuts across national boundaries
Similarities between UK and wider Europe such as:
- Belief in Judeo -Christian Morality for social cohesion
- Belief in authority and hierarchy.
- Same commitment to social conservatism; emphasis on marriage and family life; scepticism towards more socially liberal causes (abortion and sexual equality) e.g Germany are an
- Scepticism towards free market economics. C.D stresses ‘social market’ principles of obligation and communal duty, echoes of paternalism
- Acceptance of enlarged state, Keynesian capitalism with high public spending and an expansive welfare state.
Key thinkers in Christian Democracy strand
Adenauer 1876-1967
- “History is the sum total of things that could have been avoided.”
Schuman 1886-1963
- Plans for limited economic integration
Scruton
- Regarded Christian democracy as a form of ‘no-nation conservatism’
Sturzo 1871-1959
New Right Conservatism
- Influenced by the ‘crisis’ of traditional conservatism: inflation, unemployment, unsustainable welfare spending - (on account of trade union militancy)
- A two dimensional doctrine ~ merger between neoliberalism and neoconservatism.
- It is perceived as to be one of the most controversial ideologies of the late 20th century
- Believed that the UK was becoming an anti - permissive society (lacking moral and formal authority) and with the end of a permissive society it would
- Thatcherism
Key thinkers in New Right Conservatism
Rand -
- Objectivism - all guided by self-interest and rational self-fulfillment, and so individuals are atomistic; society is a loose collection of independent individuals
- Strongly linked to New Right support of a laissez-faire brand of capitalism and renewal of negative liberty and justified the ‘rolling back of the frontiers to the state’ through tax cuts and privatisation programmes - a limited state is required for laissez-faire capitalism and free markers
- Liberty is impossible without order and security - only state can provide; ‘The small state is the strong state’
Nozick -
- Growth of government is gravest threat to individual freedom, and welfare states in Western Europe generate a dependency culture - he is hostile to the state
- Individual should be left alone in the economic, social and cultural sphere
- Minarchist state - public services outsourced to private sector; many self-sufficient communities are free to practise their own moral codes and values (little platoons repeat idea)
- ‘Tax, in the most part, is theft’ - individuals have self-ownership and should be left alone without government intervention
- Society predates the state - however, formal authority is needed to enforce laws, as the preservation of life, liberty and property ‘could not be taken for granted’
- Free market economy - promotes freedom to increase economic growth and a vibrant, prosperous society
Key thinkers in New Right Conservatism - neoliberalism and neoconservatism
Von Hayek:
- Neoliberalism; drastic reduction in tax, much tighter control of government spending, end to dependency culture, deregulation and privatisation of services and the neutering of obstructive bodies wedded to statist ideas (trade unions and local councils)
Kristol and Scruton -
- NR as a merger of neoliberalism and neoconservatism
- Neoconservatism - restoration of authority, national identity and Judeo-Christian morality; tougher approach to law and order with more power to police, more robust national defence approach, less immigration tolerance and anti-permissive social policy with the promotion of traditional family
- NR Conservative - ‘a liberal mugged by reality’ - optimistic NL fail to anticipate tensions arising from a free market economy where inequality flourishes - therefore, neoconservatism solves this issue with a authoritarian and strong state to maintain order and protect property
- To achieve low taxes, state spending would need to be reduced on welfare (NL), and Neo-conservatism solves this with traditional morality and end to permissive society through privatising compassion, weaken state obligation and restore tradition
- NC want to strengthen the state by reinforcing the police, security services and armed forces, and all require state funding - NL claim this will be easier once state spending is reduced through privatisation and welfare reform
- Neo-liberalism’s wish to ‘roll back the frontiers of the state’ in economic and social policy finances the objectives of NC
Criticising the New Right
- Gilmour - betrayal of traditional conservatism - ‘Inside right’ 1977 marked that the New Right was a betrayal of traditional conservative principles ~ (Neo libs wanted to minimise government whereas Neo cons wanted to increase government to grow the UK’s profile)
Quinton - ‘fundamental contradictions’ in The Politics of Imperfection:
- Neo-Liberals -> roll back the frontiers of the state whereas Neo-Conservatives -> enhance the state
- Neo-liberals -> enhance individualism whereas Neo-Conservatives -> restrict it
- Neo-liberals -> relaxed about immigration as a side effect of free markets and individualism whereas Neo-conservatives -> wary of immigration
- Neo-liberals -> minimise public spending (Nozick’s minarchist state) whereas neo-conservatives will increase it to strengthen the nation’s profile
