Revision Flashcards
1
Q
Pragmatism
A
- Basing on experience of what works - a flexible approach
- Humans lack rationality to comprehend abstract theories
- TCs = facilitates natural change - ONCs = need a ‘middle way’ approach, some govt regulation in economy, promoting growth and social harmony through wealth creation and funding state welfare programmes
2
Q
Tradition
A
- ‘the accumulated wisdom of past societies and a connection between the generations’
- Creates stability as society doesn’t change much - links therefore to organic change
- Religious fundamentalists - social practices as ‘God-given’
- Secular justifications = traditional practices have proved ‘fit for purpose’ - therefore valuable - should be preserved to establish continuity/social stability/future generations can benefit
- Also provides identity
3
Q
Human imperfection
A
- People are flawed/can’t make decisions for themselves - tough law and order needed, foreign policy based on national security, recognition of competitiveness/self-interest as most powerful motivator
- Psychologically dependent - crave security and familiarity, morally imperfect - selfish and greedy, intellectually imperfect - limited in reasoning and intelligence
4
Q
Organic society/state
A
- Society/state more important than individual parts, like a living organism - therefore people can’t be separated from society
- Underpinned by natural hierarchy - inequalities, as different classes have different roles
- Reinforced by authority - encourages social cohesion, as people have a sense of identity/understanding of the expectations on them
5
Q
Paternalism
A
- Govt by people best equipped to lead by virtue of birth/inheritance and upbringing - linked to hierarchy/organic society - paternalistic leaders have wisdom, by experience = natural authority
- Soft = give consent, hard = imposed regardless of consent
- Disraeli - would limit likelihood of social revolution if poor looked after (ONCs)
- Neo-liberals reject as undermines human initiative - leads to economic stagnation (faith in individualism, self-interest) - dislike dependency culture
6
Q
Libertarianism
A
- Minimal state intervention, maximum economic freedom, free-market
- Moral objections to state welfare - rollback the state - creates dependency culture - eroding parental responsibility for children (Family institution undermined)
- Redistribution of income - ‘state robbery’ - property is transferred without consent
7
Q
Traditional conservatism
A
- Emphasis on tradition, organic society - evolving naturally and founded on tried and tested institutions (rejection of ideology as leading to disaster)
- Hierarchy necessary - ‘natural’ reflection of inequalities of talents/abilities, different jobs/different rewards for these jobs dependent on contribution
- Soft paternalism ‘noblesse oblige’; other social groups with organic society accept the ‘natural leaders’ - can make decisions in best interest
8
Q
One nation conservatism
A
- Disraeli wanted to avoid a revolution due to class conflict, organic society - depended on top down authority and the elite’s acceptance of social responsibility
- ‘Welfarism’, social reforms
- Emphasis on traditional institutions - provide stability/cross-class identity, imperialism enforcing ‘one nation’ thinking/national pride
9
Q
The New Right
A
- Neo-liberal economic/individualism, Neo-conservative commitment to order, traditional values, public morality
- Neo-liberalism - free market economy, self reliant individuals capable of making rational decisions, atomism
- Neo-conservative - strong govt that impose a ‘moral order’, anti permissiveness (no freedom to make moral choices), maintain traditional social structure - internal, ‘natural’ hierarchies
- Internal tensions between Neo-conservatives and neo-liberals: NLs want freedom of the individual but NCs think individuals have limited choice over morality
10
Q
Thomas Hobbes
A
- ‘Leviathan’ - argued for total obedience to absolute govt - alternative being chaos
- ‘State of nature’ - people equal and free, leads to conflict
- Therefore people enter into a social contract to establish political authority - surrender all natural rights (except self-defence) - govt established through consent of people to preserve order
- Humans - not rational - needy and vulnerable and therefore compete violently, easily led astray in attempts to understand world
11
Q
Edmund Burke
A
- French Rev base - tried to create new system based on abstract principles - talked about pragmatism
- Organic state = reform limited based on empiricism (use of direct experience) and tradition
- Should be respected - promotes social stability as there is stability as there is an obligation for each generation to pass on tradition/empiricism
- Provides strong historical identity
12
Q
Michael Oakeshott
A
- Pragmatism more desirable as delivers what is in best interests of people
- Flexible - reflecting shifting social reality while ideology encourages dogmatic decision making, oversimplifying complex situations we can’t understand
- Rationalism bad - society too complex to understand
- A ‘rational’ leader acts solely on the ‘authority of his own reason’ rather than experience (like fascism under Mussolini)
13
Q
Ayn Rand
A
- Objectivism = libertarianism system advocating rational self-interest
- Reason provides fundamental basis of human life and therefore she claims that rational pursuit of self-interest is morally right
- Altruism - undermines ability of people to use their reason
- ‘Non-aggression principle’ - opposition to external coercion of the individual through state/welfare taxation
- Laissez-faire economics = respects rational self-interest
14
Q
Robert Nozick
A
- Libertarianism - based on Kant’s principles of ends not means - since individuals are an end in themselves, they have rights which are ‘side-constraints’ on actions of others
- Taxes immoral - forced labour imposed on the individual treating individuals as a means for social justice
- Self-ownership; gives rights to elements making up oneself, therefore taxes a form of slavery and people have partial property rights over the labour of individuals
- Minimal/nightwatchman state
15
Q
Hierarchy
A
- Conservative belief that society is naturally organised in fixed and unequal tiers - one’s social position or status is not based on individual ability
16
Q
Authority
A
- For conservatives - idea that people in higher positions in society are best able to make decisions on behalf of other people or society as a whole
- Authority comes naturally from above and rests on an accepted obligation from below to obey
17
Q
Change to conserve
A
- Society should adapt to changing circumstances by introducing moderate reforms - rather than reject change outright and risk rebellion or revolution
18
Q
Atomism
A
- Society’s made up of self-interested and self-sufficient individuals (AKA egotistical individualism)
- Can also describe increasing social breakdown and isolation
19
Q
Noblesse oblige
A
- French phrase - encapsulates idea that nobility and privilege bring with them social responsibilities, notably the duty and obligation to care for those less fortunate
20
Q
Anti-permissiveness
A
- Rejection of permissiveness - belief that people should make their own moral choices
21
Q
Radical
A
- Beliefs, ideas or attitudes that favour drastic political, economic and social change
22
Q
Laissez-faire
A
- Minimal intervention in business and the state by the govt
23
Q
Empiricism
A
- Knowledge comes from real experience and not from abstract theories
24
Q
Minimal or ‘night watchman’ state
A
- Role of the state must be restricted to preserve individual liberty
25
Q
To what extent do different conservatives agree on the role of the state?
Traditional conservatives
A
Organic state theory:
- Hobbes’ ideas of social contract - people voluntarily enter a contract with an authoritarian state as they prefer social order to the chaos of the ‘state of nature’
- Hierarchy and authority
- Organic state/society - everyone has particular role and therefore need hierarchy and authority to create sense of belonging
Strong authoritarianism moral code
26
Q
To what extent do different conservatives agree on the role of the state?
One nation conservatives
A
Prefer idea of the welfare state:
- Developed ideas of organic state/society, with authority and hierarchy lending social responsibility
- Paternalism - Disraeli
- Favour tradition/lack of change
- Burke’s ideas of pragmatism and empiricism - favour experience over abstract theories - due to human nature imperfection beliefs
- Some continuity but some change in role of state in peoples’ lives
27
Q
To what extent do different conservatives agree on the role of the state?
New Right/libertarian
A
= Neo-liberal economic views
= Free market economy - no govt regulation/intervention
= Nozick’s ideas about tax
- Disliked welfare state as tax = state robbery, taking people’s property away from them ‘legalised theft’
- Gives people part-ownership over what people own ‘tale of the slave’ due to redistributive policies
- Therefore believed in small state
- Strong moral authority - anti-permissiveness and sought to defend ideas of natural justice - served by considering that which would naturally without state interference
28
Q
To what extent do different conservatives agree on the role of the state?
Conclusion
A
Therefore:
- Strong moral authority
- ONCs have biggest/most interventionist state - paternalism
Can view NR as favouring more ideology over pragmatism
NR - changes to economic/welfare role of the state
