Michael Oakenshott Flashcards

Conservatism

1
Q

when was he alive?

A

1901-90

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2
Q

most famous work?

A

‘On Being Conservative’ (1962)

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3
Q

what happened in his book?

A

interpretation of how conservatives regarded human imperfection
remembered for its argument a ‘philosophy of imperfection’ doesn’t have to be a ‘philosophy of pessimism’

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4
Q

view of human nature?

A

most humans were ‘fallible but not terrible’, ‘imperfect but not immoral’
incapable of ‘perfect’ societies, but could secure ‘both pleasure and improvement through the humdrum business of everyday life’

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5
Q

how did he try to make conservatism seem?

A

more optimistic than liberalism/socialism
claimed cons. have a greater appreciation of preexisting pleasures

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6
Q

what did ideologies with clear views of how society ‘should’ be cause?

A

impatience
intolerance
frustration

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7
Q

quote on what cons. prefer

A

‘prefer the familiar to the unknown, the actual to the possible, the convenient to the perfect…present laughter to utopian bliss’

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8
Q

what was he dismissive of?

A

‘normative’ politics with its ‘simplistic visions that overlook the complexity of reality’

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9
Q

what did he affirm?

A

merits of empirical + pragmatic approach to politics + life- ‘the art of the possible’

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10
Q

how did he argue wisdom was achieved?

A

through experience and trial and error

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11
Q

other famous work?

A

‘The Politics of Faith & the Politics of Scepticim’
argued state exited to ‘prevent the bad rather than create the good’

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12
Q

what was his ‘nautical metaphor’

A

‘we all sail a boundless sea, with no appointed destination’
the job of the govt. was to: keep ‘the ship afloat…using experience to negotiate every storm…and not fixating on a port that may not exist’

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13
Q

what do his critics say?

A

his philosophy is too fatalistic and underestimates our ability to shape circumstances
Nozick said his mentality was ‘lazy’ + allowed socialist ideas to advance unchallenged after 1945

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