Debate - Is conservatism 'ruling-class ideology?' Flashcards
Yes…
> It was a claim regularly made by both fundamentalist socialists and revisionist socialists.
> Those making such claims cited Burke, who attacked the egalitarianism of the French Revolution while defending aristocratic rule.
> Since Burke, conservatives have always defended property, privilege and inequality.
> Conservative paternalism is merely an attempt to make inequality and elitism palatable to the majority.
> The stress on tradition and piecemeal change conspires to prevent radical change, which inherently threatens ruling-class interests.
No…
> The prime purpose of the conservative state - the maintenance of order - is one with appeal to all sections of society.
> Conservatism’s love of habit, custom and familiarity has echoes within all sections of society.
> Traditional conservatism has frequently promoted the interests of the poor in order to ensure the maintenance of ‘one nation’.
> The conservative wish to avoid revolution is altruistic - during periods of revolutionary upheaval it is often society’s most vulnerable members who suffer most.
> New Right conservatism is meritocratic, not aristocratic, identifying with ambitious and talented individuals from all backgrounds.
