Conservatism

• Strands of Conservatism


  Traditional, One Nation, New Right
• Traditional beliefs


  . Hierarchal society

  . Human imperfection

  . noblesse oblige

  .gradual change

  . organic society

  .
• Hobbes


  . Order

  . strong authortarian government

  .Human nature- needy, vulnerable and fallible

  . individualistic drive

  . State of war- nasty brutish and short

  .need for social contract
• Burke development of consevatism

  . Human imperfection to a lesser extent

  . Empiricism not rationality

  .gradual change to conserve

  . Tradition not abstract rational ideas

  . Noblesse oblige
• Burke quote


  'chasm between our desire and our achievement
• Burke quote on equality


  all men have equal rights ut not to equal things
• what ways are we imperfect

  . morally

  . psychologically (oakeshott)

  . Intellectually ( not rational)
• Oakeshott


  . Pragmatism

  . Human imperfection psychological (beyond our ability to understand reality)

  . modern society unpredictable

  . Oakshott critical of leaders acting on 'authority of his own reason'

  .
• One Nation Conservatism


  Make society more stable anf minimise inequality

  . Disraeli had admiration for noblesse oblige/organic society

  .social reforms counter negative effects of capitalism

  . laissez faire + keynesian

  . Cameron = 'compassionate conservatism'

  .
• New right


  . neo lib + neo con

  . arouse in 1970s with thatcher and reagan for anti permissiveness
• Neo liberalism


  . atomistic

  . free market economy

  . neg freedom

  . Human capable of rational thought +rejects imperfection

  .obligations to themselves ( fear organic state)

  . rolling back state

  . free market

  . NO INTERVENTION

  .only intervene to stop inflation
• Neo conservative


  . Morality

  . social order

  . hawkish foreign policy

  .
• Ayn Rand


  . Objectivism -atomistic society with negative freedom + individuals are rational and mora

  . freedom for laissez faire economy

  . Rejected human imperfection

  . loathes organic society

  .Opposed welfare provision

  . Property w out tax

  . rolling back state in economic and social matterse.g abortion and homosexuality

  .
• Nozick


  . libertarianism - people cannot be treated as a thing or as a reosurce (based on Kant)

  . Locke's rationalism

  .self ownership

  . Minarchist state

  .state's function is to protect rights

  . Disagreed with hierarchy

  .
• Nozick tax quote


  taxation of earnings is on par with forced labour
• Neo conservatism


  . Influenced by traditional

  . reverse social fragmentation and uphold morality

  .organic society on christian values

  . welfare state caused dependency culture

  . organic authortarians

  . hawkish foreig policy
• core ideas


  . tradition

  . human imperfection

  . pragmatism

  . organic society

  . paternalism

  . Libertarianism
• Human imperfection


  . Stems hobbes pessimistic view

  . Burke agreed capable of making a mistake but not to same extent

  . Trad/1N/Neo con agreed imperfect but society can help cause change

  . Neo liberals reject human imperfection

  . Humans have capacity for evil so need tough law and order

  .Burke = rationalism ill advised

  . Hobbes social contract

  .
• hobbes hn


  "driven by a perpetual and restless desire for power"
• what did oakeshott call human

  "fragile and fallible"
• Pragmatism


  . Associated with Burke

  . change to conserve

  . Sees state as necessary

  .
• Burke what is socety a partnership betwene


  " between those who are living ...dead and yet to be born"
• Tradition


  . lasted test of time / things developing over time

  . gives sense of belonging

  .
• Organic society


  . humans dependent on one another or risk anomie (feeling isolated)

  . society a living organism

  . Functions in a hierarchy

  . Little platoons

  .needs organs to function e.g authority eductaion religion
• paternalism


  Burke believed natural hierarchy in an organic society so duty of those on top

  . Pragmatic belief

  . influenced disraeli

  . Linked to 1n

  . Neo con = tpugh love as reject dependency

  .oakeshott didn't like paternalism as derived from rational thought
• Libertariansim


  .Individual right to liberty

  . Burke supported adam smith's laissez faire

  . Minimal state intervention

  . Rival to paternalism

  .neo liberals atomistic

  .
• Human nature agree


  Agree

  . Most except neo lib believe in imperfection

  . Trad/1N/neo con believe hierarchal organic society as indivudals must be proteced from inherent selfishness

  . we are: morally imperfect ( originalsin and motivated by desire) , psychologically imperfect ( security driven and socially dependent, rely on tradition and culture for identitty), intellecutually imperfect ( unacaoable of understanding rational ideas)
• Human nature disagree


  . Hobbess much more pessimistic

  . BURKE One nation + conservative believed intellectually and morally fallible and distrustful of rationalism

  . Oakeshott focused on psychological imperfectionas we cannot comprehend rational abstract thought

  . New Right neo liberals e.g Rand and Nozick more positive view of human nature

  . Neo liberals see no need for organic society as ruled by egotistical individualism and negatice freedom
• The state agreement


  . trad + 1n think ruling class paternally governs for beenfit of all- Burke thought arustocracy and Hobbes thought monarch

  . Trad/1N/Neo con taxation used to fund state intervention

  . Private property as vital component for psychological security

  . change to conserve from Burke to 1N

  . Trad and 1n organic paternalists
• state disagree


  . Private property for stake in society but either atomistic or organic

  . Neo libs wanted atomistic society, objected to welfare state and dependency culture

  . Neo con branded sexual revolution immoral

  . Neo libs said gov.t should not infringe on liberty

  . One nation = paternalistic

  . Trad conservatives and neo conservatives are organic authortairans
• society agree


  . Trad/1N and Neo con all stress psychological need for organic society

  . for imperfect humans an organic society provides stabiliy and security- Oakeshott and Burke agreed w hobbes we are imperfect but can be mitigated by society

  . Change to conserve in society to avoid revolutions

  . value empiricism

  . fulough good example of commitment to organic society
• society disagreement


  . Rand and Nozick for atomistic individualism

  . free from taxation as built of autonomous individuals

  . Neo liberals prefer reason to empiricism

  . organics society blntsthe development of the individual
• economy agreement


  . capitalism leads to economic inequality- hierarchial nature of society

  . support free market economists like adam smith "the wealth of nations"

  . Private property is a vitalcomponent as offers psychological security HOWEVER neo lib= triumph for atomistic society reducing state dependency whereas rest see is as giving a stake in organic society

  . Trad/1n/Neo con agree tax needed to fund state intervention
• Economic disagreement


  . Most con argue private property stregthens social cohension BUT trad/1N are reluctant supporters of capitalism - concerned with its doctrine elements and also leaves no room for paternalistic support

  . Neo libs want to roll back state and have economic negative liberty

  . Neo lib- abolish welfare state and get rid of dependency culture

  . neo liberals are radical

  .