Origins of conservatism

• What do conservatives like to do with society?


  conserve society

  tradition

  pragmatism - evaluates theories in terms of the success of their practice application

  empiricism- knowledge and evidence come from real

  experiences
• How did it come about?

  after the French Revolution - because it was rational and an reactionary ideology that that resisted the decline of feudalism and aristocratic rule
• Early Traditional views:

  noblesse oblige- duty of society's elite to look after the poor

  human are impect - need a state to provide order, security and stability and society

  society should change gradually and carefully

  society is organic
• Thomas Hobbes:


  key idea's:

  order- society should have a balance humans need a free life

  Human nature- needy, vulnerable, and easily led astray in an attempt to understand society
• Thomas Hobbes main ideas:


  key text: leviathan

  humans are needy, vulnerable, and easily led astray from understanding society

  without gov and structure of society, humans would be forced to live in a violent state of nature

  social contract- between individuals and the state ( mainly the monarch)- gives the sovereign legitimacy to pass legislation -need an authoritative government
• key quote from Hobbes:

  " the passion of men are commonly more potent than their reason"
• Evolution of traditional conservatism. 


  enlightenment- Hobbes' ideas were challenged by the French Revolution and the changing state of society after the Industrial Revolution

  Arostratic rule declined: across Europe- more non-reactionary conservatives developed on contrast to the reactionary conservatives

  Edmund Burke agreed with Hobbes that humans are imperfect - disagreed on the extent though
• Edmund Burke's key ideas:


  organic change: political change should be taken with great caution and slowly

  Tradition and empiricism - practices passed down from generation that should be respected
• Edmund Burke key text:

  reflections on the revolution in France

  " All men have equal rights but not equal things"
• Edmund Burke key ideas:


  tradition and empiricism should be passed down through the generations

  change to conserve society- society should adapt by instigating small modifications it preserve the essence of society

  the ruling class has paternalistic responsibility or noblesse oblige to society weaker people
• Traditional conservatism in the twentieth century:

  Micheal Oakeshott - focuses on the psychological and intellectual aspects of human imperfection- conservatism is a natural disposition rather than a political ideology or idea

  his ideas rose in reaction against various fascists and communists regimes - Nazi Germany , Italian fascims
• Oakshotts key text:


  on being conservative

  " a known good id not likey to be surrounded for an unknow better "
• Oakshotts key ideas:


  human imperfection: society is unpredictable and humans are imperfect

  Pragmatism : the belief that conservatism is about what works in the world
• Oakshotts main ideas:


  doctrines are worthless, humans should put their faith in long-standing customs/ traditions

  human imperfection- is beyond the human's ability to understand the reality

  faith in rationalism is misplaced as theories, it oversimplified complicated decisions

  Gov should have the peoples best interest based on pragmatism and empiricism rather than what it should be