Conservatism

• What is Pragmatism?


  Arguably the key core value of conservatism is about practical experience and the approach that society should be flexible approach to politics that considers the best for everyone's interests.
• Conservative views on tradition:

  • used to be religious - believed that God created the world
  • after the Enlightenment :
  • Edmund Burke - institutions of the past have demonstrated their values- therefore preserve it
  • reform and change should be justified - should evolve over time and not be sudden -
  • provides people with a strong sense of identity
  • it provides people with security as they establish ties between societies - they believe that radical change will cut people of from tradition
• what is Human imperfection?


  Flaws or limitations in human nature or behavior.
• What do conservatives think about HUman imperfection?

  Human nature has to be checked as it can turn evil

  conservatives stress that

  • a tough stance on law and order is required
  • human nature cannot be transformed- foreign policy has to be based on national security rather than liberal values
  • human behavior is competitive - so any successful political system will be recognized that self-interest is more of a motivator
  • "selfish, calculating, and competitive"
• Conservatism is a form of change known as 'changing to conserve', adapting to significant social and economic changes over the last 200 years
• Conservatives aim to change appropriately by drawing on the success of the past: 'ongoing repair and development' rather than destruction and creating something entirely new
• Conservatives are distinct from reactionaries, who oppose all change
• Conservatism emerged in response to the politics of the Enlightenment, notably the French Revolution and 'the Terror', providing an alternative political ideology to liberal values and violence
• Core idea of conservatism: human nature is fixed and cannot be remoulded given the correct society, government must accommodate human imperfection, not try to change reality
• Edmund Burke rejected the view that human nature was guided mainly by reason, instead drawing on the biblical notion of 'original sin' and emphasizing the role of custom, habit, and experience in guiding human behavior
• Thomas Hobbes viewed human nature as ruthlessly selfish, calculating, and competitive, leading to a life that is 'nasty, brutish, and short'
• Michael Oakeshott described conservatism as more psychology than ideology, with human nature being fragile and fallible but benign and benevolent when framed by routine, familiarity, and religious principles
• Robert Nozick and Ayn Rand highlighted human nature's desire for individual freedom and innovation, but also emphasized the need for periodic restraint of formal authority and communities
• Conservatism supports hierarchy, where the wiser, stronger, and more opulent establish a hierarchy of power and privilege, with responsibilities for the less fortunate (paternalism or noblesse oblige)
• Conservatives prefer Judaeo-Christian morality over rationalism, promoting traditional values like marriage and the family, and emphasize the importance of private property in shaping conservative beliefs
• Conservatism supports capitalism but expresses concerns about promoting risk and innovation at the expense of order and stability, some conservatives advocate for state intervention to moderate capitalism
• Traditional conservatism emerged as a reaction to the French Revolution, grounded in a fear of its impact on security and domestic life
• Traditional conservatism principles grounded in reaction to French Revolution, fear of its impact on security and domestic life
• Key idea of 'change to conserve' evidenced in 19th century Conservative governments offering piecemeal social and political reform
• Disraeli argued for 'one nation' conservatism, viewing different classes as part of the same family to promote social cohesion
• Wealthy had obligation to 'elevate the condition of the people' to divert revolution, achieved through state-provided welfare reform
• Response to egalitarianism and fascism led to a 'middle-way' between capitalism and socialism, maintaining private property rights and national identity
• Christian democracy in Western Europe shares beliefs in Judeo-Christian morality, hierarchy, and authority, differing from UK conservatism in rejection of nationalism and embrace of supranationalism
• Michael Oakeshott brought a fresh perspective to conservative thinking in the 20th century
• Oakeshott's view of human nature differs from Hobbes by seeing humans as 'fallible but not terrible' and capable of securing 'both pleasure and improvement'
• New Right conservatism blends US tradition and values with traditional conservative moral beliefs, born out of the economic crisis of the 1970s
• Ayn Rand's philosophy of 'atomism' sees society as autonomous individuals seeking self-realization, connecting with New Right conservatism's emphasis on individualism
• Robert Nozick's 'minarchist' state supports individual freedom in economic and social/moral spheres, compatible with traditional conservatism
• Neo-liberals in the New Right seek to roll back the state and advance individual liberty, while neo-conservatives aim to strengthen the state and restrict individual liberty
• Differences between neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism lie in their views on the role of the state, individual liberty, immigration, and government spending
• Tensions within conservatism include views on human nature, society, the state, and the economy
• What is Localism?

  Society is a collection of localised communities ( not random atomistic individuals) that restrain from slefish indivdualism
• what does Atomism mean 


  the idea that society is made up of self-interested and self-sufficient individuals - increasing social breakdown
• what does Organicism mean?

  Society emerges organically over time- can not be planned
• what does Empiricism mean?

  view that societal challenges as requiring evidence-based practical solutions - a rejection of normative and progressive perspectives on how society should be.
• What are conservatives' views on hierarchy and authority?

  Hierarchy- is inevitable as there will always be people out there with better skills and due to different classes. However, this means that the people above must care for the people below them

  Authority: the hierarchal structure is reinforced through authority- they believe it develops naturally- and provides a vital role by providing security, direction, and support, it also gives social cohesion as it gives a clear sense of how they fit in and what they are expected to do
• What is Paternalism?

  -the idea of government by people who are best equipped to lead by virtue of their birth

  • those on top of society have a dury of care to people below them
• The two types of paternalism

  soft- when those who are the recipients give their consent

  Hard - when paternalism is imposed, regardless of consent or opposition, in a more authoritarian way
• What is one nation's conservatism?

  • an updated version of traditional conservatism
  • PM Disraeli felt capitalism encouraged self-interest indivalsim - it threatened to split Britain into two( rich VS poor)
  • he improved conditions in the poorest areas - made the wealthy help the poor
• what is the Laissez-faire economy?

  Hands-off approach on the economy= minimal intervention in business and the state/ gov