To what extent are Conservatives united in their views on the Economy? (24)

Agree: All Conservatives support Capitalism and Property Rights

• All conservatives broadly support capitalism and property rights. Support stems from pragmatism, tradition, and belief in an organic society.

• Capitalism = practical & proven; generates wealth and stability. Conservatives distrust utopian, interventionist economic schemes.

• Oakeshott: Favoured practical experience over ideology; capitalism is “tried and tested.”

  • On Being Conservative: prefer “the familiar to the unknown… the tried to the untried.”

• Capitalism fits with tradition—seen as part of society’s organic historical development.

• Burke: Tradition = accumulated wisdom; free market reflects organic social evolution.

• Property rights central to conservatism: ownership encourages responsibility, stability, and resistance to socialism.

• One-Nation & New Right both support property ownership:

  • Macmillan built 300,000 homes/year (social housing expansion).

  • Thatcher introduced Right to Buy, expanding private property ownership.

Disgaree: New Right vs One Nation Conservatism - State Intervention

One-Nation Conservatism:

• Belief in paternalism + noblesse oblige → duty of the privileged to support the poor.

• State acts as a benevolent guardian, providing welfare & improving living conditions.

• Disraeli’s reforms: Public Health Act 1875, Artisans’ Dwellings Act 1875, Factory Act 1874.

• Aim: reduce poverty, prevent social unrest, maintain hierarchy & national cohesion.

• “The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy.” → change to conserve.

New Right:

• Reject paternalism; support libertarian, laissez-faire capitalism.

• Minimal taxation, low spending, deregulation.

• State should only protect against force, theft, fraud & enforce contracts.

• Nozick: “The minimal state is the most extensive state that can be justified”; taxation “on par with forced labour.”

• Rand: Welfare leads towards totalitarianism (Virtue of Selfishness).

• Thatcher: Privatisation, tax cuts (83% → 40%), welfare cuts, deregulation.

• Overall: Clear ideological split—One-Nation backs limited intervention to preserve stability; New Right rejects intervention in favour of individual freedom.

Disagree: New Right rejected hierarchy

New Right vs Traditional/One-Nation: Reasons for Supporting Capitalism

• New Right support capitalism for ideological reasons, unlike Trad & One-Nation who support it for pragmatic/traditional reasons.

• New Right = freedom first: Oppose state intervention as a threat to liberty; view society as atomistic → oppose hierarchy & paternalism.

• Rand: Rejects altruism; welfare creates dependency. Virtue of Selfishness: “The man who attempts to live for others is a dependent…”.

• New Right on property: Support based on self-reliance + individual rights, not social stability. Capitalism is morally right because it protects freedom.

• Traditional & One-Nation Conservatives: Support capitalism for pragmatism, tradition, order, and maintaining hierarchy.

  • Burke: Warned unregulated markets could threaten social stability.

  • One-Nation support more intervention, but for “change to conserve”, not ideology.

• Overall: New Right support capitalism ideologically, while Trad & One-Nation support it pragmatically to preserve order and social hierarchy.

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