core ideology: conservatism

Question 1

brief summary of conservatism

Answer 1

• the ‘politics of maintenance’
• is highly successful and durable
• responded by adapting to significant social and economic changes over last 200 years
• is a form of change ‘changing to conserve’
• change is inevitable, the aim is to change by drawing on success of the past, an ‘ongoing repair and development’
• prioritise tradition over change, use change as more of a last resort
• won’t advocate for change but aren’t against it

Question 2

origins

Answer 2

• emerged in response to the politics of the Enlightenment, the french revolution and the ‘terror’ which provided grounds to construct an alternative ideology to liberal values and violence
• makes case for change while avoiding it’s dangers

Question 3

core ideas: human nature

Answer 3

• unlike liberals and socialists, conservatism focuses on human frailty and fallibility
• we are not perfect, therefore there is no perfect, utopian society
• conservatives see humans as they are, not as they should be
• humans are fixed, cannot be remoulded given the correct society, government should therefore accommodate this imperfection, not try to change reality

Question 4

key thinker: thomas hobbes (1588-1679)

Answer 4

• said human nature is ruthlessly selfish, calculating and competitive
• without restraint of formal authority, human relations are characterised by ‘envy, hatred and war’
• also believed humans were rational which drives them to agree a contract - putting him to liberalism
• ‘the condition of man.. is a condition of war of everyone against everyone’
• considered conservative and liberal
• argued there was no collaboration between individuals and no natural rights, instead a place of scare resources and ruthless self interest in pursuit of goods
• saw humans as possessing some measure of rationality and would seek order
• for hobbes, principal reason for the existence of the state was to provide order and security from ‘society’ could exist

Question 5

key thinker: edmund burke (1729-97)

Answer 5

• true father of conservatism
• in critique of enlightenment and french revolution, he rejected view that human nature was guided by reason - hence we are incapable of building a perfect society
• instead he drew on the biblical notion of ‘original sin’ and that it is custom, habit and experience that provides humans with signposts for how to behave

Question 6

hobbes vs burke

Answer 6

• both shared sceptical view of human nature, however understanding of human imperfection was different
• burke didn’t believe humans were as brutish and selfish as hobbes did and stressed were capable of kindness and wisdom
• burke also argued human nature was naturally communal -
  ‘a state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation’

Question 7

key thinker: micheal oakeshott (1901-90)

Answer 7

• said conservatism is more psychology than ideology ‘an instinctive preference for what is known, an innate fear of the uncertain’
• human nature is fragile and fallible, but benign and benevolent when framed by routine
• without law, life would be ‘noisy, foolish and fawned’ not brutish and short
• brought fresh perspective to conservative thinking in 20th century
• a ‘philosophy of imperfection’ need to be a ‘philosophy of pessimism’
• refined hobbe’s negative view of human nature
• argued conservatism was more optimistic than other ideologies
• conservatism has greater appreciation of the pleasures that already exist
• argued the state exists to ‘prevent the bad rather than create the good’

Question 8

key thinkers: robert nozick (1938-2002) and ayn rand (1905-82)

Answer 8

• highlighted human nature’s desire for individual freedom, capacity for innovation and enterprise
• however agreed with traditional conservatives that humans need periodic restraint of formal authority
• like hobbes argued human nature driven by self interest and hence requires constraint to provide peace and stability

Question 9

localism

Answer 9

society is a collection of localised communities that restrain selfish individualism

Question 10

organicism

Answer 10

society emerges organically over time (can’t be planned as humans lack ability to know what future should be)

Question 11

empiricism

Answer 11

view societal challenges as requiring evidence based, practical solutions (how it is rather than how it should be), a rejection of normative and progressive perspectives on how society should be

Question 12

tradition

Answer 12

supports empiricism (what works)
customs and habits provide security for individuals and draws on organicism - a society’s present direction stems from past development, change should be slow and respectful of past

Question 13

hierarchy

Answer 13

human imperfections suggest inequality is inevitable, where ‘the wider, stronger and more opulent’ establish a hierarchy of power and privilege
hierarchy is natural, however this comes with responsibilities for less fortunate

Question 14

judaeo christian morality

Answer 14

contrasts to rationalism, conservatives prefer original sin and promoting traditional values e.g - marriage and family, individuals are responsible for their actions (not products of some dysfunctions society)
religion binds people together (cohesion) and promotes altruism

Question 15

property

Answer 15

plays a crucial role in shaping conservative beliefs
private property supports tradition and community, for example inheritance offers stability, private property owners have a ‘stake’ in society and to avoid revolution and risk to property, will favour paternalism

Question 16

order and authority

Answer 16

state exists to promote order, security and authority (not to reshape society in pursuit of progressive objectives)
without order there can be no liberty (hobbes), the state is the strong and uphold law

Question 17

organic origins

Answer 17

state should emerge not be an artificial construct
challenges hobbe’s view that the state is a rational creation arising from a contract with the people (consent) as welcome unwritten constitution

Question 18

the state

Answer 18

• a ruling class, comfortable with hierarchy, conservatives embrace notion of a ruling class ‘born to rule’, ‘fit to govern’
• since burke, traditional conservatives support a class born and trained to rule
• nation state - since mid 18th century, conservatives have stressed importance of the nation state in creating sense of identity
• nation state should be strong by being lean, fit for purpose by not overburdened with responsibilities for industry and welfare

Question 19

core ideas: the economy

Answer 19

• since capitalism nurture inequality and hierarchy and private property, conservatives are broadly comfy with capitalism
• however have concerns @ promotion of risk and innovation @ expense of order and stability
• some conservatives support capitalism moderated by measure of state intervention
• acceptance of keynesianism although challenged by ‘new right thinkers’ and governments
• reducing scope of state activity enables it to be strong, while leaving market to create wealth

Question 20

different types of conservatism

Answer 20

traditional
new right

Question 21

traditional conservatism: aftermath of french revolution

Answer 21

• principles of conservatism grounded in reaction to french revolution, fear of its impact on security and domestic life
• established key idea that we must ‘change to conserve’ shown in 19th century conservative governments that offered pierral social and political reform

Question 22

traditional conservatism: one nation

Answer 22

• ‘how much easier it is to be critical than to be correct’- benjamin disraeli
• continued protest and disorder through 19th century encouraged some conservatives to fear socialism, demanding a more urgent response
• different classes were part of same family, the ‘nation’ the essence of who we are as people
• conservatives embraced patriotism as a unifying force binding rich and poor
• argued wealthy had obligation to ‘elevate condition of the people’ as recognition of this would divert revolution

Question 23

philanthropy

Answer 23

desire to promote welfare of/to others

Question 24

traditional conservatism: response to egalitarianism and facism

Answer 24

• extension of franchise birth of the labour party and the emergence of facism and revolutionary communism in early 20th century posed significant challenge to conservatives belief in private property
• adopted middle way between capitalism and socialism, embracing need to tackle economic inequality while maintaining private property rights

Question 25

christian democracy

Answer 25

• emerged to become dominant form of conservatism in western europe
• share beliefs in judeo christianity morality, hierarchy and authority
• differs from UK conservatism in its rejection of nationalism and embrace of supernationalism

Question 26

new right conservatism

Answer 26

• US tradition and values emphasise small government, individual freedom and lassiez-faire capitalism
• blended with more traditional conservative moral beliefs
• born out of economic crisis of the ‘70’s, some conservatives came to reject post war consensus
• blend of neo liberalism and neo conservativism drawing on hayek and milton friedman, promoter adam smith institute and institute of economic affairs

Question 27

the new right

Answer 27

• neo liberals sought to extend individual freedom by ‘rolling back the state’ to create a true free market economy supporting economic growth and vibrant society and individualism
• focus on reducing tax, government spending and welfare, introducing deregulation and privatisation and reducing power of prostate institutions
• neo conservatives focused on restoration of authority, national identity and judeo christian morality, involving approach to law and order, national defence and permissive values

Question 28

atomism

Answer 28

no people are connected in any way, we’re just random ‘atoms’ floating around

Question 29

key thinker: ayn rand (1905-82)

Answer 29

• argued that talented individuals are @ heart of a successful society
• in ‘the virtue of selfishness’ proposed we should be guided by self interest and ‘rational self- fulfillment’, associated with new right idea of ‘atomism’
• while agreeing with free market economics and ‘rolling back the state’, rand extended this individual freedom into moral sphere, supporting right to choose
• however falls short of anarchism in that she supported a minimal state to defend and free markets and cultural laissez faire

Question 30

key thinker: robert nozick (1938-2002)

Answer 30

• argued in state and uptopia, growth of government was gravest threat to individual freedom, especially the welfare state which created a dependency culture
• identified with libertarianism went further than neo liberals in arguing that individuals should be left alone not just in economic sphere but also in social/ moral sphere too
• stopped short of anarchism in that he supported a ‘minarchist’ state based on his optimistic view of human nature

Question 31

neo liberals

Answer 31

• want a roll back of state (privatisation)
• advance individual liberty (income tax)
• are relaxed about immigration
• want to minimise government spending

Question 32

neo conservatives

Answer 32

• want a roll forward of state (laws to restrict trade unions)
• restrict individual liberty (extend police powers)
• reduce immigration
• are prepared to increase government spending (nuclear weapons)

Question 33

tensions within conservatism

Answer 33

• human nature - scepticism vs optimism
• society - shared identity vs atomism
• the state - big vs small
• economy - free market vs mixed economy