Conservatism

• One Nation conservatism has greater state intervention in the economy and society, so therefore there are higher levels of public spending and taxation.
• Traditional conservatism prioritises the importance of tradition in an organic society, where the indispensible are prioritised and a hierarchy is established. The state should govern in a paternalistic way (restrict freedom to deliver the best).
• New Right conservatism is economically neoliberal and socially neoconservative.
• Hobbes believed that society needed to exist in harmony with the state as without the state providing authority and enforcing law and order, life would be 'nasty, brutish and short'.
• Thomas Hobbes believes that because humans are naturally selfish, they need the state to act in a paternalistic way, otherwise humans would be governed by self-interest. It is better to give up all freedom in order to be protected from the dangers of the world.
• Hobbes had a sceptical view of human nature and viewed individuals as inherently selfish as they seek power and to be respected: the state of nature is a war against everyone.
• Hobbes believed that the state must be an autocratic one as dispersed power would create conflict. The sovereign must have ultimate power to protect everyone else.
• Edmund Burke believed that laissez-faire capitalism is the natural state of the market.
• Burke believed society was organic, it could not be constructed but it evolved like a living organism. In this, hierarchy was needed for a stable society.
• Burke's idea of human nature is that humans are fundamentally flawed in that they are selfish; humans need experience to learn and grow and adapt in society - the best way for this was 'little platoons'.
• Burke believed 'little platoons' provided individuals with a sense of security and belonging in society, this would help guide society and steer it away from the destructive nature of human imperfection.
• Burke believed that the state should be organic and pragmatic, relying heavily on tradition. But should 'change to conserve' to maintain tradition and prevent revolution.
• Edmund Burke once said 'a state without the means of change is without the means of conservation'.
• Benjamin Disraeli said 'the palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy'.
• Disraeli' support of paternalism came from his pragmatic strategy that the state needed to change to conserve as the less privileged had difficult living conditions. If they weren't looked after, it would increase the likelihood of societal upheaval and revolution.
• Disraeli supported paternalism - the belief that the state is responsible to look after the welfare of the less privileged. This belief is embodied in 'noblesse oblige' which is that the privileged have a duty to act with responsibility towards the less fortunate.
• Disraeli believed that pragmatism and keeping the less privileged happy would prevent revolution or upheaval and maintain society.
• Disraeli supported patriotism as he believed that national unity and shared values would create a shared national identity and this would bridge the growing divide between the classes, unifying rich and poor.
• Oakeshott saw human nature as imperfect, but had potential for goodness. He wrote it was 'noisy, foolish and flawed' but could be guided to be positive.
• Oakeshott's view on society was that it should be pragmatic as utopian perfect societies were dangerous.
• Oakeshott believed a true free market could not be achieved because they were volatile and unpredictable. He believed they made need pragmatic intervention only when necessary and the state should mostly observe.
• Oakeshott believed the state existed to prevent the bad not create the good and that a state should be pragmatic.
• Ayn Rand believed society was atomistic and made up of individuals.
• Ayn Rand supported laissez faire economics as she believed that it was the only economic system to protect indiviudal rights.
• Ayn Rand wrote in the Virtue of Selfishness that 'the man who lives for others is a parasite in motive.'
• Rand believed that humans were naturally selfish, however she didn't see this as human imperfection; she saw it as individualism and that humans weren't capable of altruism as it diminishes individual freedom and success.
• Rand believed the state should be minimal and protect national security and enforce order. It shouldn't promote 'positive liberty' by state intervention or welfare.
• Robert Nozick opposed redistribution policies and wrote 'taxation is theft'.
• Nozick believed that the state should be minimal and its sole role should be to protect individual rights and freedom.
• Nozick believed in libertarianism and maximising autonomy and free choice in the economy.
• The New Right is more ideologically driven, focusing on the principles of freedom and individualism, whilst One Nation and Traditional conservatives value pragmatism and tradition.
• Nozick believed human nature is driven by a quest for 'self-ownership' and freedom.
• New Right conservatives see society as a collection of individuals all pursuing their own interest whilst Traditional conservatives see it as an interconnected, evolving organism.