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Conservatism, Negative freedom (or negative liberty) consists of freedom…
Conservatism
Human Nature
Traditional:
Thomas Hobbes - Humans are selfish, self-entered and driven by self interest (negative outlook). he has a very cynical view on human nature and believes that we are vulnerable and easily lead astray and therefore need authority.
Edmund Burke - Humans are morally fallible and not guaranteed to make the correct decision for ourselves. Humans can conceive the idea of perfection but cannot always achieve it, "crooked timber of humanity". We are In need of a paternal figure to guide us.
All Conservatives believe that we are all selfish and self interested beings. Not only this but they also all agree that some extent all humans are imperfect.
In an essay, compare their views on rationality and the idea of self interest. (How rational are we and is self interest a positive?)
One Nation:
Micheal Oakeshott - (Somewhat negative view) Humans lack the capacity to make sense of the world and therefore should focus on empiricism/tradition. Humans need to be lead. (Positive) Humans are self interested to serve their own abilities.
Neo Liberal:
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Ayn Rand - Humans are guided by self interest. (Positive) Individualism makes us flourish and humans are in fact rational beings.
The State
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Traditional:
Thomas Hobbes - The state arises from a social contract between the sovereign and the subjects. Subjects cede freedoms to an autocratic monarch to guarante the rule of law.
Edmund Burke - The state emerges and grows like an organism. Hierarchical in nature, the hereditary elite rules with paternal noblesse oblige (privilege entails responsibility) for the interest of all. The state should change to conserve society guided by tradition.
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One Nation:
Micheal Oakeshott - The state should be guided by tradition and experience. If change must occur, it should be done through pragmatism and empiricism.
One nation conservatives at the core believe the state should only intervene in society and the economy. One Nation Conservatism and the principle of Noblesse Oblige - hierarchy creates a system of duty and obligation, which again is crucial in maintaining social stability.
Neo Liberal:
Robert Nozick - Minarchist state: state limited to law and order, enforcement of contract and defence of the country. (The idea of a night watchman state).
Neo liberals at the core do not want state dependency. They claim that Britain is over-governed via state intervention
Ayn Rand - The state should play a minimal role in peoples lives, only securing a; free market, law and order and national security.
Society
All conservatives agree on the idea that society is organic and it has the ability to grow and change.
Traditional:
Thomas Hobbes - Society did not exist before the creation of the state, this is because the sovereign state brings order and authority to the people which is needed for society. Before the state, life was "nasty and brutish". Belives in an absolute hierarchy.
Edmund Burke - Society is based on communities and traditions. Society is like a multifaceted organism which is constantly evolving. Places large emphasis on the importance of symbiotic relationships. Believes in limited power of the monarch and favours the idea of representative democracy.
All traditional conservatives believe that once the state creates a necessary order, society will emerge organically, maturing into a complicated organism of traditions and customs.
Neo Liberals:
Robert Nozick - Society is essentially atomistic in which humans are their own individuals. "There are only individual people, different individual people, with their own lives".
Neo liberals challenge the idea of a typical conservative hierarchy. Society is atomistic and should be organised instead on meritocratic terms. (Negative freedom)
Ayn Rand - Society does not exist as we are but a loose collection of independent beings. We are a collection of autonomous individuals motivated by self-fulfilment.
One Nation:
. Micheal Oakeshott - Shares very similar views on society as Edmund Burke. Believes that society is a multifaceted organism and places a lot of emphasis on symbiotic relationships.
The Economy
All conservatives agree on the idea that there should be a free market economy as well as it being laissez-faire.
Traditional:
Thomas Hobbes - Economic activity is only possible after the creation of the state. The sovereign brings order and authority which allows the economy to develop.
Edmund Burke - The free market is the natural/organic state of the market and states role should be to protect laissez-faire economics.
One Nation:
Micheal Oakeshott - The free market is the natural state of the market and state intervention should be limited to only pragmatic moderation. State management of the economy underpinned by rationalism should be avoided due to humans being intellectual imperfect.
Neo Liberals:
Ayn Rand - There should be free market capitalism with no state intervention, it should be a privatised and deregulated economy.
Robert Nozick - The minarchist state will be one of free market money as well as (like Rand) privatised and deregulated.
Neo Liberals believe that the state is ill-equipped to plan or intervene in the economy and that nationalised industries are inefficient and lack free market dynamism.
Negative freedom (or negative liberty) consists of freedom from something whereas positive freedom (or positive liberty) consists of the ability to do something. Negative freedom therefore consists of laws to combat discrimination whereas positive freedom enables those on limited incomes to lead a more fulfilled and meaningful existence.