Society

Question 1

Localism or Individualism

Answer 1

• Burke argued society was made up of local communities that he described as ‘little platoons’. These would give people security, status and lead to a sense of community. Such ideas continue through one-nation conservatism and thinkers such as Oakeshott.
• The New Right however champions individualism, even questioning society as a concept. In this view of this aspect of society they are closer to liberalism than conservatism.

Question 2

Organic society

Answer 2

• society can’t be artificially created.
• society emerges slowly over time and os subject to forces that cannot be controlled or possibly understood, making the future of society uncertain.
• society is a plant to be kept alive rather than a vehicle that can be driven towards a given destination or machine that can be made to follow instruction. Conservatives believe fundamentals of society cannot be changed.
• future is potentially difficult and dangerous so scared about changes.

Question 3

Empiricism

Answer 3

• means conservatives take society as they find it and act of evidence rather than having a set view of how society should be or should become.
• conservatives are very cynical of liberal and socialist normative views and are very concerned about the uncertainty of the future meaning that conservative ambitions tend to focus around ‘staying afloat’ and stopping things getting worse.

Question 4

Tradition

Answer 4

• the customs and habits of society are really important to conservatives.
• turning away from them risks the future for the organic society.
• all change should be gradual and we should always be mindful of the past. This can lead to conservatives defence of things that you might think it would suit them to change. Devolution is an example of this.

Question 5

Hierarchy

Answer 5

• conservatives accept that society is unequal in which some have more resources and opportunities than others and see no reason to adjust this.
• they see those at the top as being there for good reason and accept that they will have power and privilege.
• but one-nation conservatives believe that those at the top of the hierarchy are obliged through paternalism to look after those lower in the societal hierarchy like a parent looking after their children.
• the new-right are happy with the inequality but are far less keen on the paternalism.

Question 6

Christian morality

Answer 6

• conservatism has a long and continuing connection to religion. E.g. trump clearing protestors so he could visit a church.
• links to their belief in humanity being flawed and in need of instruction.
• strong support for marriage, family values.
• belief holding people to account for their actions and mistakes rather than blaming society.
• religion and morality seems as a way of binding society together.
• traditionally in the UK support for the conservatives was linked to attending the Anglican Church.

Question 7

Property

Answer 7

• property is linked to tradition and continuity and should be passed down through generations.
• owning property gives people a stake in society that makes them more likely to conform and resist change.
• the new right sought to create a ‘property-owning democracy’ as demonstrated by the right to buy schemes under Thatcher’s government and the obsession with house prices and stopping homes being sold to pay for an individuals care.

Question 8

Differing views on society

Answer 8

• Hobbes: no society without a state to establish order.
• Burke: organic and based on ‘little platoons’.
• Oakeshott: local communities are vital to human survival.
• New Right: Rand: some doubt it exists, it is the sum of all its individuals.
• New Right: Nozick: should be geared to individual self-fulfilment.