Conservatism Quotes

So many quotes

Burke on economic intervention

“mutually Discover each others wants”

Hobbes’ state of nature

natural state “nasty brutish short”

Disraeli on the importance of welfare

“the health of the people is the most important question for a statesman”

Rand on Capitalism

“a full pure uncontrolled unregulated lassaiz-faire capitalism with a separation of state and economies”

Thatcher on capitalism and wealth distribution

capitalism “brings wealth to the many, not just to the few”

Nozik on state intervention

‘No state more extensive than the minimal state can be justified’

Oakeshott on empiricism/ pragmatism

“to be a conservative is to prefer the tried to the untried”

Oakeshott on not being constrained by ideology

conservatism was more “psychology than ideology”

Burke on Pragmatism/adaptation

“change in order to conserve”

Disraeli on pragmatism/ preventing a revolution

“the palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy”

Rand on separation of state and economy and state and church

"there must be a “complete separation of state and economics in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church”

Chesterton (traditional) on democracy of the dead/ tradition

“tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes: our ancestors”

Burke on tradition

“the accumulated wisdom of the ages…is the best source of virtue and goodness”

Rand on capitalism

“radical for capitalism”

Hobbes and his state of nature

“war of every man against every man” where life would be “nasty, brutish and short”

Oakeshott on why he is against revolution and radical reform

it should be ensured that “the cure is not worse than the disease”

Nozick on economic independence/anti state welfare

“the state may not use its coercive apparatus for the purpose of getting some citizens to aid others”

Burke on a natural hierarchy

“ a natural aristocracy” where “the wiser, stronger and more opulent” were on top

Nozick on atomic individualism

“there are only individual people, different individual people, with their own individual lives”

Nozick  on welfare/ taxation

“legalized theft”

Burke on Adam Smith’s the wealth of nations

“perhaps the most important book ever written”

Burke on state intervention in the economy

state intervention may make it hard for consumers and producers to “mutually discover each others wants”

Disraeli on anti free market capitalism/ intervention to help the working class

“will gain and retain the conservatives the everlasting affection of the working classes”

Rand On Liberty

“Freedom: to ask nothing to expect nothing to depend on nothing” Rand

Disraeli on how the states main role is a duty to help the people (big welfare quote!)

“ Power has only one duty - to secure the social welfare of the people”

Burke on the need for a strong(ish) state

“nothing turns out to be so oppressive and unjust as a feeble government”

Thatcher on the role of the state

“To preserve both liberty and order”

Trueman on private property

“The true conservative seeks to protect the system of private property”

Thatcher on the importance of law and order

“in order to be free” there had to be “an abiding respect for the rule of law”

Burke on organic society

society is made up of “little platoons” that work together like organs in the body

Oakeshott on the development of society

“A societies present direction, stems from its past development”

Rand on dependency

“The man who attempts to live for others is a dependent. He is a parasite in motive and makes parasites of those he serves.”

Oakeshott on human nature being moulded by society

• described human behaviour as "noisy, foolish, and flawed," whilst also having the potential to be “benign and benevolent” when framed by the right customs and institutions.