Conservatism

Traditional conservatism

Traditional conservatism

Emerged in part as a reaction to the rational principles of the enlightenment in the 18th century. It argued that pragmatism, empiricism and traditions were vital in maintaining society

On-nation conservatism

Developed in the late 19th century and evolved further in the 20th century. It advocated more state interference in both the society and the economy to preserve society

The new right

A force from the 1970s. A combination of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism. It argued that one-nation conservatism had gone too far in increasing th role of the state and had lost touch with traditional conservative values.

Traditional conservative key thinkers

Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1679) “leviathan”

Edmund Burke (1729-97) “reflections on the revolution”

One nation conservative key thinker

Micheal Oakshott (1901-1990) “on being conservative”

New right conservative key thinkers

Robert Nozik (1938-2002) “anarchy, state and utopia”

Any Rand (1905-1982) “the virtue of selfishness”

Hierarchy

The conservative belief that sciatica is naturally organised in fixed tiers, where one’s position is not based on individual ability

Authority

For conservatives, this is the idea that people in higher positions in society are best able to make decisions in the interests of the whole society; authority thus comes from above

Change to conserve

That society should adapt to changing circumstances rather than reject change outright and risk rebellion and/or revolution

Atomism

That society is made up of self-interested and self-sufficient individuals (also egotistical individualism)

Anti-permissiveness

A rejection of permissiveness, which is the belief that people should make their own moral choices, suggesting there is no objective right and wrong

Radical

Belief who’s Ideas favour drastic political, economic and social change

Human imperfection

The traditional conservative belief that humans are flawed in a number of wars which makes them incapable of making good decisions for them

Laissez-faire

A preference towards minimal government intervention in business and the state

Empiricism

The idea that knowledge comes from real experience and not from abstract theories

Pragmatism

Judging policies and political assertions judged on their merits and not on any ideology or dogmatic basis

Paternalism

Links to noblesse oblige - Hard paternalism = elites deciding what is best for the rest, irrespective of their view. Soft paternalism = decisions still rest with elites but choices will be made taking into account the views of the governed

Hobbes strand and Key words

Traditional conservative

Key words: hierarchy, authority, tradition, paternalism

Hobbes areas of discussion

The state - arises contractually from individuals who seek order and security. State must be autocratic.

Society - can be no society without the state as it brings order

Human nature - cynical, individuals are selfish and ruthless. Desire supremacy and security

Economy - only possible with a strong state to ensure order

What makes Hobbes memorable?

• life in a sate of nature would be “solitary ,poor, nasty, brutish and short” so ORDER is required in the form of a social contract

• A PESSIMISTIC view of human nature that is used to justify a paternalistic state ensuring social order

• Humans are needy and vulnerable and act out of fear and self-interest, are destructive and non-cooperative by nature

• BUT are rational enough to realise that hey need a social contract to keep order and create a society

• Power must be strong and centralised otherwise arguments and conflicts of interest wold arise and power struggles would ensue

Burke Strand and key words

Traditional conservative

Key words - tradition, change to conserve, organic society, human imperfection, empiricism, paternalism

Burke areas of discussion

State - organic and should be aristocratic and guided by a hereditary elite reared to rule in the interests of all

Society - organic and multi-faceted. Comprised of small community or platoons

Human nature - fallible but benevolent, sceptical about the “crooked timber of humanity” who are unable to achieve perfection

Economy - trade should involve organic free markets and laissez faire capitalism

What makes burke memorable?

• his book on the French Revolution defined is views on human imperfection, need for empiricism, the existence of an organic society and the importance of tradition, aristocracy and localism

• Often considered humans to be fallible and more likely to fail than succeed - revolution was to be treated with suspicion and only embarked upon in order to preserve society. Rationa ideas were not to be relied upon as they were often wrong. Was sceptical about the ‘crooked timber of humanity’ - aspired for perfection but unable to achieve it

• Change to conserve but change had to be based on empiricism and tradition

• Society and government were more like a plant than a machine and was therefore more mysterious and ‘organic’

• Hierarchy and a ruling class were inevitable in organic societies and desirable - they should use their superior judgement to make decisions in the national interest (trustees not delegates)

Oakshott strand and key words

One nation conservative

Key words - pragmatism, tradition, empiricism

Oakshott areas of discussion

State - should be guided by tradition and practical concerns. Pragmatism not dogmatism

Society - localised communities essential guided by short-term requirements not abstract ideas. Conservatism does not imagine an ideal society but instead how we should respond to society as it is.

Human nature - a philosophy of human need not be pessimistic - most people were “fallible but not terrible, imperfect but not immoral”. Wisdom was achieved through experience and trial and error rather than abstract ‘rational’ philosophy. Humanity is at its best when free from grand plans and focused on routines of everyday life.

Economy - free markets are volatile and unpredictable - may require pragmatic intervention from the state

What makes Oakshott memorable?

• His analogy of the state as a ship on the sea focused on the pragmatism of conservatism, compared with the idealism of other ideologies.

• People should not trust pilots who steered towards a final destination. The state existed to prevent the bad rather than create the good and led to his ‘nautical metaphor’ - during our lives, “we all sail a boundless sea with no appointed destination” “and not fixating on a port that may not exist”

Nozick strand and Key words

New right conservatism

Key words - minarchist, egotistical individualism

What makes Nozick memorable?

• a right win libertarian who argued that the individual is sovereign and therefore the state should not restrict the individual (e.g. victimless crimes should not be illegal)

• The only legitimate role for the state was the protection of property ad ensuring contacts were honoured

• Taxation was legalised theft

• Any attempt to make society faired was unjust: if people were allowed to make their own decisions and persuade their own interests that was natural justice

Rands strand and Key words

New right conservatism

Key words - Atomism

Rand areas of discussion

State - should be limited to law and order and national security, positive liberty is not desirable, no welfare state

Society - pursues atomistic individualism - a collection of autonomous individuals motivated by self fulfilment. These individuals resist obligations to state or society as they make them less free. No welfare state

Human nature - objectivist we are, and ought to be guided by rational self-interest and the pursuit of self-fulfilment

Economy - free-market capitalism with no state intervention and a deregulated economy

What makes Rand memorable?

• rational and ethical egoism

• Rands family fled her native Russia during the revolution and these experiences influenced her political philosophy

• She advocated rational self-interest - it is not only natural to be selfish but morally good - Altruism and self-sacrifice are immoral and so she was strongly opposed to collectivism and state interference (laissez faire, free market capitalism)

Human imperfection general view

Conservatism views humans as imperfect and only self-interested. They are morally imperfect - selfish and short sighted; intellectually imperfect - reality is beyond rational understanding so any abstract theories are flawed; psychologically imperfect - driven by need for security and socially dependant - rely on tradition and culture for an identity.

Hobbes on Human nature

• argued that human imperfection is inevitable

• Humans desire power and material gratification and so are distrustful of others - the state of nature (without government) would be ‘nasty, brutish and short’

• Without a state to keep order, there would be a never-ending conflict - a violent anarchy

• Hobbes believed that humans were imperfect but not completely irrational

• Humans would recognised the state of nature was hell on earth and would realise that they ended protection from themselves

• They would see that. Social contract was necessary - giving up individual sovereignty to a sovereign monarch who would provide order in return, allowing society to develop

• He says that the first rule of human nature is to seek peace and follow it

Burke on Human imperfection

• Agreed with Hobbes that humans are imperfect but disagreed on the extent

• He believed that imperfection encouraged people to band together into small supportive communities

• He too doubted the ability of human reason and posited that humans were more likely to fail than succeed

• Because of this he believed that decisions should be based on evidence and not on rational theory as it was likely. Be wrong

Oakshott on Human imperfection

• Has more in common with Burke than Hobbes. He Saw human imperfection in the form of fragility and fallibility but thought that people were capable of benevolence

• Burke and Oakshott agreed that society is organic and intricate (beyond rational understanding) and consisted of intricate customs and traditions that create happiness

• Also Argues for empiricism and not rationalism and a ‘politics of the faith’; faith in rationalism is misplaced as it will fail

• He argued for the politics of scepticism as abstract ideas often lead to unintended consequences (Burke would have agreed given views on French Revolution)

• Oakshott argues that rationalists attempt to improve society or the economy but will often end up making matters worse

• Conservatism is about making sure that the ‘cure is not worse than the disease’

Hobbes on state

• Belief that the state precedes society

• Believes that once a state provides order, society will emerge naturally

• Favoured an absolute monarchy, but also parlimentry sovereignty, limited government and representative government