Conservatism Lecture Notes

Flashcards on Conservatism

Conservatism

A political philosophy focusing on tradition and the importance of institutions and gradual change.

French Revolution Impact

The upheavals of the French Revolution (1789) led to the development of conservatism as a distinct political attitude and movement.

Key Conservative Ideologies

Conservatism emphasizes tradition, hierarchy, and stability.

Classical Liberalism

A branch of conservatism that emerged in the 20th century, related to economics, foreign policy, and social values.

Neoconservatism

A branch of conservatism that emerged in the 20th century, related to economics, foreign policy, and social values.

Libertarianism

A branch of conservatism that emerged in the 20th century, related to economics, foreign policy, and social values.

Thomas Hobbes

A key conservative thinker who wrote 'Leviathan' and stressed the importance of order, taking a dim view of human nature.

Edmund Burke

Often seen as the 'father of conservatism,' he wrote 'Reflections on the Revolution in France' and preferred 'change to conserve.'

Ayn Rand

Influential in 'New Right' thinking, she wrote 'The Virtue of Selfishness' and believed in objectivism.

Robert Nozick

A New Right thinker who wrote 'Anarchy, State & Utopia,' believing in a minarchist state and rejecting wealth redistribution.

Michael Oakeshott

Emphasized the importance of tradition and pragmatism, seeing conservatism as the philosophy of imperfection.

Conservative View of Human Nature

Conservative thinkers often reject the optimistic view of human nature, seeing it as flawed and imperfect.

Hobbes' View of Human Nature

Viewed human nature as egotistical and ruthless in its pursuit of self-interest, requiring order to prevent conflict.

Burke's View of Human Nature

Saw the limits of human achievement and advocated for slow, gradual change due to human fallibility.

Oakeshott's View of Human Nature

Believed that while human beings often fail, they are still capable of kindness and generosity.

New Right View of Human Nature

Take an objectivist view, advocating that human beings are driven by rational selfishness.

Conservative View of Society

Many conservative thinkers reject the idea of ‘natural society,’ emphasizing law & order.

Little Platoons

Smaller communities such as churches, clubs, teams and families, are important for managing the imperfections of human nature.

Organic Society

Society cannot be created, it can only emerge naturally.

Tradition in Society

A good society values tradition, acting as a 'partnership between those who are living, those who are dead and those who are to be born'.

Paternalistic Inequality

Inequality is natural and desirable, but those in power have a duty to look after the poor and weak.

Private Property

The ability to inherit private property is a key part of conservatism.

Atomism

New Right thinkers view society as a collection of individuals with an entrepreneurial culture.

Dangers of Capitalism

Traditional conservatives acknowledge that 'laissez-faire' economics has the potential to damage society and cause inequality.

Moderated Capitalism

Traditional conservatives support a moderated form of capitalism through government regulation.

Free Market Economics

New Right thinkers support a completely free market economy where private companies and businesses are free from government interference.

State Importance

Nearly all Conservative thinkers see the state as more important than society for creating order.

Hierarchy & Ruling Class

Traditional conservatives advocate for a hierarchical state which represents an unequal society where power is unevenly distributed.

Empiricism

The state should be guided by experience and what has worked in the past based on evidence.

Small State

New Right thinkers reject the idea of empiricism, arguing for a small state focused on law & order and security.

Importance of Authority

Conservatism ensures that there is proper authority and law & order in society.

Evolutionary Change

Change is inevitable but should be pursued slowly, carefully and respecting tradition. Argued for “change to conserve”

One-Nation

Conservative thought divisions can be fixed across all classes to prevent any revolutions or upheavals.

Post-War Consensus & Middle Way

It was necessary to accept nationalization, the welfare state and the NHS which they had previously opposed.

Failing Economies

New Right thinkers blamed economic problems on state owned industries, high public spending and high taxation.

Failing Societies

New Right thinkers were critical of the welfare state, leading to a ‘dependency culture’ as people had become “indifferent to notions of self-reliance”.

Failing States

The state should be primarily concerned with keeping law & order.

Neo-Conservatism

An update on traditional conservative values, includes a tougher approach to law & order and self defense.

Neo-Liberalism

An update on aspects of classic liberalism supported by minimal states.

Pragmatism

Accepting of capitalism, aware of the potential of ‘laissez- faire’ capitalism to create inequality.

Conservatism - Cynical Human Nature

Many conservative thinkers have seen human beings as being naturally self-interested and therefore egotistical.

Tradition and Empiricism

Post-war consensus & middle way, focus on tradition focus on Empiricism.