traditional conservatism knowledge flashcards

It was important in the UK from the time of Hobbes (1640s) through to the birth of one nation conservatism (1860s-70s). International examples of traditional conservatism would include Bismarck's Germany in 1870 and Tsarist Russia in the early 1900s. However, …

 it hasn’t been relevant in UK politics for over 150 years (however, one nation conservatism and the new right are more significant strands).

Traditional conservatism could be seen as remaining relevant in three regards:

1. International examples like Iran and Saudi Arabia are living breathing examples of traditional conservatism in government today. Putin's Russia has areas of policy that are examples of traditional conservatism too, combined with authoritarianism and nationalist imperialism.

2. The neoconservative branch of the new right can be seen as an heir to traditional conservatism e.g. President Reagan is seen as a traditional conservative but was definitely a new right too. 

3. Some traditional ideas still percolate around conservative thinking today. In 2005 the ‘Cornerstone Group’ was founded within the British Conservative Party, stating in their foundation document “we believe that these values must be stressed: tradition, nation, family, religious ethics, free enterprise”. In America, Donald Trump’s VP 2017-2021 Mike Pence represented a branch of the Republican Party that could be seen as traditional conservative. The ‘bible bashing’ more radical wing of american politics, would find a lot to like in areas of traditional conservatism eg. on religion and authority, but would also disagree with other ideas eg. on individual liberty.

Traditional conservatives believe in the key principles outlined in conservatism: they have a strong emphasis on hierarchy and paternalism, authority (sometimes leading to authoritarian conservatives where regimes were harsh and rights few), tradition and opposing change, religion (at times). Hobbes was a traditional conservative. He saw order as the key aspect of society, and therefore emphasised authority over all else. Burke too was …

a traditional conservative, albeit with a more optimistic outlook than Hobbes. Oakenshott seems to be a traditional conservative, but it is hard to see him and Hobbes being in the same ideological viewpoint - but perhaps him and Hobbes being in the same ideological viewpoint - but perhaps Hobbes marks the most pessimistic wing, and Oakenshott the furthest extent of its optimism.

Key ideas (i):

Pragmatism: Putting first what works rather than untested ideas is the best course of action. Abstract theories to bring about an ideal society can only lead to disaster.

Tradition: Society is held together by tradition, which acts as glue, representing the accumulated wisdom of past generations. It can be seen in tried and tested institutions such as the family, church and monarchy. Any necessary reforms will emerge organically and have to be pragmatic, drawing on the lessons of history and tradition to establish practical, effective solutions. Burke argued that by abandoning traditions, post-revolutionary France would inevitably end up more oppressive than before. 

Key ideas (ii):

Human imperfection: People can’t be trusted with power because they are selfish and can’t be trusted with freedom because they are immoral. Little can be done other than to maintain an ordered society. 

Organic Society/State: There is a natural order, including a natural class-based hierarchy and inequality. It’s important to avoid radical or abrupt changes that could disrupt the status quo. If change is required it should be done slowly via natural organic evolution. This belief in organic society and state leads traditional conservatives towards nationalism.

Key ideas (iii):

Inequality: People don’t have the same abilities and talents, so it is ‘natural’ that society should reflect this and ‘artificial’ that all humans should be considered equal. Hierarchy ensures that everyone works together harmoniously for the overall health of the social body. 

Paternalism: A system based on helping those in need helps reduce discontent and so maintains order and stability. Elite rule ensured those in positions of authority can draw on class and family traditions of leadership, duty and social responsibility. 

Romanticism: Historically it opposed the new reformist ideas of the C18th and 19th, such as democracy and individual rights. Its main focus instead is on the protection of social order. In modern terms this could be seen as traditional conservatives acting in more moralistic terms, seeking to preserve the ‘soul of the nation’ from immorality and radical change that will lead to social decay. 

Human nature (i):

All conservatives are pessimistic - humans are selfish, desiring of power, imperfect.Humans cannot be transformed or fundamentally improved & therefore society needs to be designed around controlling humans ability to harm others e.g. Kant …

“from the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made” (although neoliberals would be uncomfortable with this). They believe competition is natural & so tend to prefer capitalism despite its imperfections.

Human nature (ii):

Traditional Conservatives themselves are very negative about human nature - humans are selfish and egotistical and need authority to keep them in line. However, humans are also somewhat rational - and therefore can see they need authority in order to have a stable society (e.g. for Hobbes from an absolute monarchy). They do however lack the capacity for self-reliance and crave security and stability. Hobbes saw humans as individualistic. However Burke and Oakeshott …

believed humans are more sociable - and that our psychological fragility means we depend on community and society. Burke’s belief in human imperfection leads conservatives to distrust theories and abstract principles, and favour instead imperialism, experience and pragmatism. Crime is the fault of the perpetrators who are innately wrong doers by virtue of the negative nature of humanity. Strong law and order is needed to keep them in line.

Society (i):

Society has developed organically. There was no society before the state - without the order and authority the state creates, society cannot be formed. Tradition and customs form the bedrock of the organic society (& state) and therefore must be conserved. Change should be approached cautiously and based on empiricalism. Social order is absolutely fundamental and is held together by a consensus over societal norms and values. Therefore there should be the upholding of public morality and strong authority and law & order. Cultural pluralism is a threat to this order & is therefore dangerous. As such there is strong opposition to multiculturalism as a harbinger of social disunity

Society is profoundly unequal and this is both natural and organic. Inequality arises because people have different talents & because of natural human individualism. Tradition & paternalism ensures social stability in the face of natural inequality. This is backed up by strict hierarchy and law and order. When socialist states attempt to make an equal society, governments tend to take away liberty, which is undesirable.

Society (ii):

Inequality doesn’t create unhappiness as such - it is uncertainty that causes discontent.  As such people need to clearly understand their place in society.  Then they will be  content. Hobbes, Burke and Oakeshott all pointed to the role of religion in helping bind together societies. Burke also emphasised the way society is built of ‘little platoons’ that bind together to form the nation.  Oakeshott argued that utopian societies promised by socialists are unobtainable given flawed human nature.

Tradition is the essential element in running society. There is no role for fancy thinking philosophers and their unproven theories and concepts. Traditions and hierarchies that have endured throughout society have done so due to their own intrinsic merits, and, therefore, should not be questioned or changed. Traditional conservatism also rejects the emphasis on the individual within society that is prioritised by liberal ideas. Instead it emphasises more collective senses of identity within society, such as the family and the Church. 

The State (i):

The state is absolutely essential in creating the order and authority the organic society needs to flourish. However beyond this vital role, the state should play a very limited role.  Conservative paternalism is best done at a localised level, and welfare too performed by local community voluntary efforts. Therefore the state is not seen as a vehicle for nationwide paternalistic efforts as ONCs envisage. Hobbes argued the state should be a ‘leviathan’ - …

 all powerful and all controlling - and individual rights and liberties were to be sacrificed for the good of creating order.  Authoritarian conservative regimes in e.g. Tsarist Russia or modern Iran focus almost exclusively on law & order and social conformity. Their primary commitment is to maintaining order, which it sees a powerful state as an important prerequisite for - it justifies keeping the ruling class in power because the ruling class has been in power for so long that it has accumulated knowledge making it best placed to rule society in the interests of all.

The State (ii):

Burke and Oakeshott supported a more nuanced version of the state - still powerful and led by the ‘natural aristocracy’ - but one limited by constitutions, and that acts as the servant of society, not as master. Burke also took traditional conservatism ‘forward’ from Hobbes by establishing that change was necessary ‘in order to preserve’. A ruling class that was too static and refused any change, would lead to a revolution, as was seen in France in 1789.  Nevertheless such change should be slow and cautious.

Traditional conservative state regimes have adopted multiple approaches to foreign policy. Some have favoured insular nationalism and self-sufficiency with limited contact with the outside world e.g. Japanese C17th-C19th isolationism known as sakoku or modern North Korea, others have adopted  more hawkish foreign policy and military interventions e.g. the C18th-C20th building of the Russian Empire and Bismark’s use of three wars (1864-1871 vs Denmark, Austria and France) to achieve German Unification in 1871. The state should be governed by the ruling class - since society has a natural hierarchy, and those at the top are best placed to lead.

The economy (i):

The primary focus of traditional conservatism is to defend the principle of private property against any calls for reform or change. The state’s primary purpose in this regard is to uphold property rights and defend property owners. Other state intervention in the economy, such as taxation, is generally opposed - although any and every principle should be sacrificed in the name of order. Conservative views of the economy are more geared towards …

that of traditional, land-tied agrarian society rather than capitalist society. Traditional conservatives could be roughly placed into three groups in terms of their approach to the economy. Most adherents of this strand support core capitalism and have a firm belief in the importance of private ownership. In this way many are strongly influenced by Burke’s ideas and his endorsement of the free market capitalist ideas of Adam Smith.

The economy (ii):

However not all traditional conservatives support the ‘free market version’ of capitalism and some instead favour a modified and controlled form, which allows for protectionism to preserve the interests of the nation station, or of the elites. Other supporters of the stand may support alternatives to capitalism, e.g. an Islamic economic approach where profit levels are meant to be strictly controlled e.g. in Taliban Afghanistan or the Houthi controlled areas of  Yemen.

However for all traditional conservatives, since order and authority are the essential preconditions for any human society to function - and these can only come from the state - the economy is entirely subordinate to the needs of the state.  The economy is entirely subordinate to the need for stability, and will always be a tool of the state to manipulate to that end.  A pragmatic attitude to economic policy is paramount, and there is no place for ideology here. Whilst most strand supporters will philosophically appreciate the rights of the individual to keep what they earn or own, the needs of the individual are not paramount.

Criticism (i):

Traditional Conservatism is often criticised as being a ruling class ideology. Its features are interpreted as an intellectual justification of the existing social order and the contemporary ruling class. For example, private property is supported because only the ruling class had such a luxury, and emphasises the …

ruling class’s ability to rule as developed over time to stop ideas forming about alternatives, while its negative view of human nature justifies the need for being controlled from above. A strong argument can be made that conservatism is little more than an elaborate attempt to justify the continued dominance of the existing order.

Criticism (ii):

The strand emerged in a time when few people had the vote. The ideas and values associated with traditional conservatives gradually evolved in order to …

respond to an expanding franchise, leading to the emergence of the one-nation school of thought.