Branches of conservatism

1. Traditional 2. One nation

What was Early traditional conservatism a reaction to?

Enlightenment and the French Revolution

What does traditional conservatism defend?

• Established order in society

• Commitment to organicism

• Against radical reform - may have negative impacts

  • Therefore they should be AVOIDED

Traditional cons view on ideological blueprints and abstract theory

• Abstract theory to bring about an ideal society will only lead to disaster

  • E.g. example of the Jacobins in the French Revolution

• as it is not based on human experience

Traditionalist justification for a hierarchy (2 reasons)

1. People do not have the same abilities , talents or energy

   • So natural that society should reflect this

   • Artificial that humans should be considered equal

2. people do different jobs and are rewarded differently - hierarchy ensures that everyone works together harmoniously for overall health of society

Traditionalist view -elitist society

• They prefer aristocratic over democratic society

• Traditional conservatives argue this is natural

  • Upper class had been raised to govern all levels and had also been educated in the values of social obligation and public service

• Soft paternalism /noblisse oblige

One nation conservatism definition

belief that conservatism should prioritise the national unity by attending to the condition of societies poorer classes

justifies greater state intervention, higher levels of public spending and taxation

Origins of one nation conservatives

• 19th century

• socialism was becoming a grave threat to conservatism ad its value of stability and tradition due to Marxist class consciousness and class conflict

• one nation conservatism came as a response

How did Disraeli use the concept of one nation to change conservatism?

• Bismarck argued that a society’s classes were all members of the same national family

  • so revolutionary politics (Marx) represented an attack on the national community itself

How does one-nationism link with Burke’s idea of paternalism?

Disraeli→ nation’s richer classes had to ‘elevate the condition of the people’

protection of lower classes would lead to minimal class conflict

One-nation economy

• endorsed state-sponspored social reform

  regarded laissez-faire capitalism as the ‘enemy of one nation’

• supported an expanded the welfare state

example of expansion of welfare state in England

• Factory Act 1874

• Artisan Dwellings Act 1875

both restricted freedom of factory owners and landlords respectively

why did Harold Macmillan move towards a ‘big government’?

• spoke of a ‘middle way’ between capitalism and socialism to address economic inequalities

• would introduce a higher degree of state intervention to protect privilege and stifle socialism

• embraced Keynesian Econ

• e.g. Conservative politicans supported public health, housing and factory acts

to a large extent→ this is pragmatic -example of conservatives ‘changing to conserve’

Crosland Critique of one nation conservatives

‘ conservatives conserve no principles … they simply go along with whatever situation they inherit , in the interests of winning office’

Why are British conservatives sucpicious of EU'‘s suprantionalism?

• threat to ‘one nation’

  • losing national sovereignty to regional sovereignty

  • move away from tradition- contradicts conservative ideology

How is christian democrayc similar to trad conservatism?

• belief in authority and hierarchy

  • e.g. Roman Cathplic Church

• emphasis placed on marriage and family life

• scepticism towards liberl causes like abortion

• acceptance of enlarged state

What was the crisis of the traditional conservatives?

• Mid 1970s crises in states (like Uk)

• Characterised by rising inflation and moral laxity

• Post-war consensus

  • Involved endorsement of

    • Keynesian economics

    • State welfare

    • Social liberalism

Why did New Right conservatism challenge this?

New Right opposed this on the grounds That conservatives were now complicit in creating a rapidly declining economy and a bloated welfare state

Dependency culture on welfare state

New right leading figures

Thatcher 1975-1990

Reagan-1981-89

What was New Right conservatism a mix of?

Social aspect of conservatism and economic aspect of liberalism

Neo-conservatism and neo-liberalism

Neo-Conservatism main points

• Associated with Kristol and Scruton

• Main objective was to reinforce and restore authority, national identity and Judeo-Christian morality Through:

  • Emphasis on Strong National Defense: Neoconservatives prioritise a robust military and assertive foreign policy to protect national interests and promote democracy.

    • Example: The UK's involvement in the Iraq War in 2003 under Prime Minister Tony Blair's leadership is often cited as a neoconservative foreign policy stance.

  • Traditional Values: Neoconservatives support traditional social and cultural values, often advocating for a conservative stance on issues like family values and morality.

    • Example: The Conservative Party's stance on issues like marriage and immigration reflects neoconservative values.

  • Scepticism of Government Intervention: Neoconservatives favor limited government intervention in the economy and advocate for market-oriented policies.

    • Example: Margaret Thatcher's economic policies in the 1980s, such as privatisation and deregulation align with neoconservative economic principles.

Contradictions between neo-liberalism and neo-conservativism

• STATE INTERVENTION:

  • Neo liberals wish to ‘roll back the frontiers of the state’

    • Shown through Thatcher’s privatisation

  • whereas neo-conservatives wish to roll forward the frontiers

    • E.g. govt restrictions upon trade unions

• INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY

  • Neo-liberals which to extend this

    • E.g. Thatcher’s cut in taxes

  • Neo conservatives wish to restrict it

    • Increase in police stop and search powers

• IMMIGRATION:

  • Neo liberals indifferent to it

    • Rand viewed as side-effect of free market and individual liberty

  • Neo-conservatives

    • Much more wary of it

    • Damaged traditional national identity and nation-state

• SPENDING:

  • Neo-liberals want to minimise govt spending in order to allow for a minarchist state

  • Neo-conservatives are prepared to increase it in order to strengthen nations powers

    • E.g. Thatcher’s financial commitment to defence of Falkland

what are the tensions within Conservatism surrounding human nature?

• trad conservatives take a scepitcal view of human nature

  • grand utopian schemes of progressive politicans are unrealistic (e.g. French Revolution)

• New right thinkers take a more optimistic view - atomistic individualism

what are the tensions within Conservatism surrounding society?

• trad conservatives- society as little platoons with a hierarchical structure

  • organic society- comes about in a natural and unplanned way

• New Right- society as a bunch of atomised individuals seeking self determination

  • prferes mertiocracy rather than paternalism

what are the tensions withi Conservatism surrounding the state?

• trad conservatives:

  • defensive of a state where political power is wielded by those ‘born to rule’

• one nation conservative sprepared the enlarge the state for social stabiliy

• HOWEVER new right prefer to roll back the state outside areas to do with law and order

  • wish to reverse dependency culture

what are the tensions within Conservatism surrounding economy?

• all advocate for the preservation of property between generations

• one nation/traditional- fearful of the dynamic effects of capitalism, so state intervention is needed (Keynesian economics)

• new right- advocate for free market economics where state functions are privatised and deregulated

• levels of taxation and spending are reduced