Cynical; individuals are selfish, driven by a restless and ruthless desire for supremacy and security
Thomas Hobbes' belief in the state
The state arises 'contractually' from individuals who seek order and security. To serve its purpose the state must be autocratic and awesome
Thomas Hobbes' belief in society
There can be no 'society' until the creation of a state brings order and authority to human affairs. Life until then is 'nasty, brutish and short'
Conservatism
Characterized by the desire to conserve - to prevent or minimisechange
Traditional forms of conservatism
Had the primary aim of preventing or minimising change
New Right thinking
Challenged the traditional forms of conservatism in the 1970s and 80s
Pragmatism
An adaptable, practical response to political decision-making - decisions are made on the basis of what works in that particular situation, based on pastexperiences
Pragmatism
The opposite to principle or ideology, where decisions would be made based on convictions or particular beliefs
Linked most strongly with pragmatism
Traditional and One Nation conservatism
Burke's view on pragmatism
Cautious pragmatism will help manage changes without revolution or chaos. 'Change in order to conserve'
One Nation conservatives
Responded to the effects of early industrialisation by supporting government measures to help the less well-off, and in the 1950s and 60s advocated some stateintervention in the economy in order to generate funding for welfare programmes
New Right
Rejected pragmatism in favour of principle - the strongly principled belief in the ability of the freemarket to deliver all goods and services
Tradition
Established customs and institutions that conservatives defend for various reasons
Conservatives' view on tradition
Society is shaped by the 'law of our Creator', so should not be tampered with
The accumulated wisdom of the past should be respected and preserved
Tradition gives a sense of belonging and identity
Human imperfection
The philosophy that humans are imperfect and therefore need control and organisation
Conservatives' view of human nature
Psychologically: Humans are creatures of habit who like safety, security and familiarity. Liberty is a problem because it gives choices and uncertainty.
Morally: Criminal behaviour is not caused by society but by the imperfectindividual. People can be kept away from antisocial behaviour if they are regulated and controlled away from their natural and selfish impulses.
Intellectually: Humans are not intelligent or rational and the world is too complicated for people to grasp. They base their ideas on a love of certainty, tradition and history, and want to be as pragmatic as possible.
Some aspect of New Right thinking can be argued to have a more positive view of human nature, e.g. the belief in the free market allowing people a great deal of freedom in the economic sphere
Thomas Hobbes
English political philosopher who argued for complete obedience to an absolute government in his work Leviathan (1651)
Hobbes' views
Ordered society should balance the human need to lead a free life
Humans are needy, vulnerable and easily led astray in attempts to understand the world around them
State of nature
Hypothetical time before any government, which Hobbes termed as 'nasty, brutish and short'
Hobbes argued that to avoid the chaos of the state of nature, humans need to submit to an authority, even an authoritarian one, as the alternative of no state would always be worse
Edmund Burke
Irish-born politician and writer who criticised the French revolutionaries for basing their actions on abstract ideas
Burke's views
Political change should be undertaken with great caution and organically
Practices passed down for generations should be respected
Ayn Rand
Russian-born American philosopher who was a supporter of libertarianism and a laissez-faire market economy
Rand's views
Humans should pursue their own happiness as the highest moral aim (objectivism)
State intervention, such as wealth redistribution/welfarism, should not be permitted
Michael Oakeshott
British political philosopher who argued that actions should always be guided by pragmatism
Oakeshott's views
Society is unpredictable and humans are imperfect
Conservatism is about being pragmatic
Robert Nozick
American philosopher who argued for a rights-based libertarian political system and a very minimal state
Nozick's views
Individuals in society cannot be treated as a thing, or used against their will as a resource (based on Kant's idea)
Individuals own their bodies, talents, abilities and labour
Nozick argued that taxation is 'forced labour' as the state forcibly takes a proportion of the individual's wage, therefore treating the individual as a resource to achieve an aim
Nozick argued for a minimal 'night-watchman' state which only exists to protect people's basic freedoms
Paternalism
The idea that governing is best done by those in positions of power or privilege, in a 'fatherly' fashion
Neoliberalism
An updated version of classical economic liberalism, dedicated to the free market
Thomas Hobbes' views
Human nature - cynical: individuals are selfish, driven by a restless and ruthless desire for supremacy and security.
State - the arises contractually from individuals who seek order and security. To serve its purpose the state must be autocratic and awesome
Society - There can be no society until the creation of a state brings order and authority to human affairs. Life until then is nasty brutish and short
Economy - constructive and enduring economic activity is impossible without a state guaranteeing order and security.
Edmund Burke's views
Human nature - Sceptical: the crooked timber of humanity is marked by a gap between aspiration and achievement. we may conceive of perfection but we are unable to achieve it.
State - arises organically and should be aristocratic, driven by a hereditary elite, reared to rule in the interests of all
Society - is organic and multifaceted comprising a host of small communities and organisations - little platoons.
Trade - should involve organic free markets.
Michael Oakeshott's views
Human nature - modest: humanity is at its best when free from grand designs and when focused on the routines of everyday life.
State - should be guided by tradition and practical concerns. Pragmatism, not dogmatism, should be its watchword.
Society - localised communities are essential to humanity survival especially when guided by short term requirements rather than abstract ideas
Economy - Free markets are volatile and unpredictable - and may require pragmatic moderation by the state
Ayn Rand's views
Humans - Objectiviest we are and ought to be guided by rationalselfinterest and pursuit of self-fulfilment
State - should confine itself to law, order and nationalsecurity. Any attempts to promote positive liberty via further state intervention should be resisted.
Society - in so far as it exists at all, is atomistic: the mere sum total of its individuals. any attempt to restrict individuals in the name of society should be challenged.
Economy - Free market capitalism is an expression of objectivists individualism and should not be hindered by the state.
Robert Nozick's views
Human nature - egotistical: individuals are driven by a quest of selfownership allowing them to realise their full potential
State - the monarchist state should merely outsource, renew and reallocate contracts to privatecompanies providing publicservices.
Society - should be geared to individuals selffulfilment this may lead to a plethora of small, variable communities reflecting their members diverse taste and philosophies.
Economy - the monarchist state should detach itself from a privatised and deregulated economy. merely arbitrating disputes between private economic organsiations.