conservatism

pragmatism (link to society, economy, state)

• rejects theory/ideology in favour of experience (empiricism)

• e.g. oakeshott ‘to be a conservative is to prefer the tried to the untried’

• doesn’t tie down conservative thinking to rigid set of beliefs - sometimes change is necessary

• humans lack intellectual ability to comprehend complex realities of world

• change to conserve

change to conserve

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

empiricism

idea that knowledge comes from real experience NOT abstract theories

tradition (link to society, state, human nature)

• ideas, customs, institutions that have survived as they are considered beneficial

• e.g. burke society is ‘partnership … between those who are living, those who are dead and those who are yet to be born’

• provides stability/continuity - humans drawn to familiar/reassuring

• accumulated wisdom of the past that has ‘stood the test of time’

• creates social cohesion, connect people to past = collective identity

human imperfection (link to human nature)

• prone to make mistakes/unwise choices

• intellectually imperfect/don’t have capacity to make sense of world

• e.g. oakeshott ‘in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea’

• psychologically imperfect, seeking security/familiarity

• morally imperfect, cannot resist temptation, will stray if not deterred with punishment

original sin

sin of adam/eve who disobeyed god as they were tempted to eat forbidden fruit in garden of eden

organic society (link to state, society, human nature)

• society as living entity with all parts working together in harmony

• people cannot exist separately from society/provides individuals with a sense of security/purpose

• maintained by delicate set of relationships, if disturbed society will collapse

• humans accept duties/responsibilities that go with belonging to society

• hierarchic, each person has specific role/place

• e.g. burke ‘loving the little platoons to which you belong’

anomie

weakening of values/rules, associated with feelings of isolation, loneliness and meaninglessness - reason why individuals need society/should not be left alone (negative freedom)

hierarchy

belief that society is naturally organised in fixed tiers, where one’s position is not based on individual ability/merit

authority

• idea that people in higher positions in society are best equipped to make decisions in interests of whole society

• authority comes from above

paternalism (link to state, society, human nature)

• higher authority which knows/acts in best interests of all

• this is state, acting as a wise father, guarding against wrong choices

libertarianism

• extending freedom to the individual so they can make individual choices

• emphasises rights to liberty/protection of individual rights

• wants minimal state

• opposing other core principals

property

ownership of physical goods/wealth, by private individuals, groups or the state

economy

• all support private property/capitalism

• TRAD = protectionist, tariffs on home-grown products

• 1N = moderate the extremes of capitalism (19th/20th century) → reduce divide between rich/poor

• NR = free-market, less emphasis on social cohesion, market solves all

traditional conservatism

• existed alongside feudal, agricultural economy = hierarchic

• aristocracy controlled society as they owned land

• reaction against radical nature of french revolution/emerging liberal ideas

one nation conservatism

• disraeli (1804-81)

• growing industrialisation, poverty and inequality - as capitalism thrived, ruling class became richer and working class suffered

• didn’t want britain divided into ‘two nations’ (rich/poor)

• paternalistic ideas where wealthy have duty to help those less well-off (noblesse oblige)

noblesse oblige

duty of wealthy/privileged to look after those less fortunate

new right conservatism

• neoliberalism

• neoconservatism

• strong but minimal state, roll back state in economy/strengthen it in social sphere

• 1970s in UK/US as reaction against wider govt intervention

• thatcher/reagan

neoliberalism

• minimal state

• individuals = self-reliant/make rational choices in own interest

• privatisation, spending/tax cuts

• faith in market to solve economic/social problems

• atomistic

• e.g. nozick ‘individuals have rights, and there are things no person or group may do to them (without violating their rights)

• reagan ‘government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem’

atomism/egoistical individualism

idea that society is made up of self-interested/sufficient individuals

neoconservatism

• reaction against freedom/permissiveness of 1960s

• strengthen state authority

• public morality ‘family values’

• social order

• national identity - patriotism

anti-permissiveness

rejection of permissiveness where people make their own moral choices with no objective right/wrong

pragmatism, disagreements between strands?

• TRAD = change in order to conserve, pragmatic/flexible

• 1N = pragmatic/flexible, heal divisions in society

• NR = ideologically driven

tradition, disagreements between strands?

• TRAD = values institutions/customs which have stood test of time

• 1N = agree with TRAD

• NR = rejects tradition, prefers radical change

human imperfection, disagreements between strands?

• TRAD = humans are intellectually, morally, psychologically imperfect

• 1N = agrees with TRAD

• NR = human rationality/individualism

organic society, disagreements between strands?

• TRAD = society > individuals, everyone should accept place in hierarchy, authority from above

• 1N = agrees with TRAD

• NR = rejects organicism in favour of individualism

paternalism, disagreements between strands?

• TRAD = state knows best, people must do as they are told

• 1N = obligation for wealthy to look after those who cannot look after themselves, soft paternalism to convince people they were beneficial to both upper/working classes

• NR = rejects paternalism, supports individualism/freedom

libertarianism, disagreements between strands?

• TRAD = rejects libertarianism in favour of tradition

• 1N = agrees with TRAD

• NR = uphold liberty/choice, mainly in economy