Organicism

• Organic State

  Conservatives view humans as dependant, and so people cannot exist separately from society as a whole or from social groups such as the church.
• Social Groups

  Provide people with a sense of purpose and security.

  Humans accept the duties that go with belonging to a society.
• Freedom

  For conservatives this means the willing acceptance of the value of social obligations and ties. If people did not accept these human society would lack cohesion and descend into atomism.
• Atomism

  Society is made up of self interested and self sufficient individuals.
• Hierarchy

  Underpins the organic society. Comes from the fact individuals have different skills, therefore natural inequality develops as some perform more challenging tasks and so deserve greater rewards.
• Authority

  Those at the top of society bear a heavier social responsibility, and therefore have a natural authority.