Different types of conservatism (i): aftermath of the French Revolution Flashcards
Tory prime ministers…
Tory PMs such as William Pitt, George Canning and Robert Peel were essentially conservative in their political practice. Like Burke, they displayed a reverence for order and property, showed an antipathy to revolutionary change, extolled tradition, endorsed the notion that society comprised a multitude of small communities, insisted that society and state emerged ‘organically’, praised experience and ‘evidence’ over theory and ‘abstraction’, and defended the principle of paternalistic, aristocratic rule.
Core conservative belief that we must ‘change to conserve’…
Within the UK, this principle was duly applied by a series of ‘enlightened Tory’ governments in the early 19th century - governments which sought to avert the spread of revolutionary ideas by embracing moderate reform in the name of continuity,.
George Canning…
George Canning supported Catholic emancipation, and as prime minister, prepared legislation that allowed Roman Catholics to participate in Parliament (claiming that ‘though emancipation carries dangers, civil strife carries even greater dangers’). Canning also championed the abolition of slavery, arguing that it brought property ownership into disrepute, while supporting demands from various Latin American countries for independence - all of which echoed Burke’s support for the American Revolution of 1776 and his campaigns against corruption inside British colonies.
Robert Peel…
Within a decade of Canning’s premiership, Robert Peel offered another example of changing to conserve, seeking to harness the interests of the new merchant and business classes to Britain’s traditional constitution and society. To this end, Peel, along with other newly named ‘Conservatives’, supported the Great Reform Act of 1832, thus ensuring representation at Westminster for the new industrial towns.
Peel’s reasoning was that if the interests of the newly enriched were not harnessed to the existing social and political structure, there was a danger that those same interests would be harnessed instead to property-less forces with no vested interest in evolving the status quo.
Peel’s political career displaying conservatism’s belief in order and authority…
Pee’s political career offers a practical example of conservatism’s belief in order and authority. As Home Secretary, he established the Metropolitan Police Force in London, a measure which led to the creation of similar forces throughout the country. Peel’s assertion that ‘without security there can be no liberty’ effectively updated Hobbes’ justification for the state and strengthened the association between conservatism, order and authority.
