Society

Question 1

What is a society?

Answer 1

A group or collective of people in a locality or region.

Question 2

What key themes surround society?

Answer 2

• the individual’s place in society
• role of the state in society
• how society is formed

Question 3

What do all Conservatives believe about the individual’s place in society?

Answer 3

There should be a society in which individuals exist within. However, there are disagreements on how individuals should play a role.

Question 4

What do Traditional Conservatives believe about the individual’s place in society?

Answer 4

Generally believe that individuals cannot operate outside of a society.

Question 5

What does Thomas Hobbes believe about the individual’s place in society?

Answer 5

Life in a state of nature would be “nasty, brutish and short”.

Society is necessary to keep inherently bad individuals in check.

Question 6

What does Edmund Burke believe about the individual’s place in society?

Answer 6

“Little platoons” - reduced importance of the individual.

Question 7

What do New Right Conservatives believe about the individual’s place in society?

Answer 7

Few, such as Robert Nozick, align with the Traditional view that there should be strong societal connections.

Most believe in Ayn Rand’s ideas of atomism and individualism.

Question 8

What does Robert Nozick believe about the individual’s place in society?

Answer 8

Agrees with idea of localism - small communities.

Question 9

What does Ayn Rand believe about the individual’s place in society?

Answer 9

Similar to most New Right Conservatives, she believes in individualism, atomism, objectivism.

Thinks there would still be a functioning society in a state of nature.

Question 10

What do all Conservatives believe about the role of the state in society?

Answer 10

The state has some degree of importance in society.

Question 11

What do all Traditional Conservatives believe about the role of the state in society?

Answer 11

The state should uphold law and order, through their idea of paternalism.

It is important to prevent the evil human nature of man.

Question 12

What do One Nation Conservatives believe about the role of the state in society?

Answer 12

Most, like Disraeli, believe that it is important. “The palace is unsafe when the cottage is unhappy”.

Question 13

What does Oakeshott believe about the role of the state in society?

Answer 13

Oakeshott believes that the state exists to “prevent the bad rather than create the good”.

Draws on idea of paternalism - generally important role in society.

Question 14

What does Ayn Rand believe about the role of the state in society?

Answer 14

Similar to almost all New Right Conservatives, she believes in “rolling back the frontiers”.

Her idea of atomism leads the New Right belief that there is less desire for state intervention.

Question 15

What do all Conservatives believe about how society is formed?

Answer 15

There was once no society, and there have been ways in which a functioning society has been brought about.

Question 16

What do Traditional Conservatives believe about how society is formed?

Answer 16

They believe in organicism, which is the idea that there was never any sudden change to create a society, and it was built up over time.

This idea came about in opposition to the French Revolution and Marxist ideas spreading from the East.

Question 17

What do New Right Conservatives believe about how society is formed?

Answer 17

As the New Right is highly divided, some believe that society is organically formed.

However, Ayn Rand’s influence is that there should be a revolution to build up society, which is more effective in creating change. This is due to the influence of Marxism.