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Conservatism - Coggle Diagram
Conservatism
Core ideas and principles
Pragmatism
Pragmatism
-- this is the idea that theory and ideology must be rejected in favour of practical expeirence with decisions based on what works.
Conservatives oppose using radical change and prefer cautious methods because humans lack the intelectual ability and powers of reason to comprehend the complexities of the world.
Pragmatism is most closely linked to tradiational and one-nation conservatives.
Traditional conservatives
For tradiational conservatives pragmatism was required to facilitate invetiable change, which Edmund Burke argued needed to be accepted because a state "
without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation.
".
Some change is required for the state to keep on going, when there is no reform the state ends up like France (facing revolution due to inflexability).
One nation conservatives
One nation conservatives agree with tradiational conservatives in regards for the need for social reform (mild reform, however) and they also believe in a pragmatic middle way for the economy.
Change to conserve
-- this is the idea that society should embrace moderate reform rather than reject change outright and risk revolution.
Tradiation
Tradiation
-- this is an attachment to the institutions, customs and practises of a society that has developed overtime.
Historically (and to a lesser extent now) the arguement for tradiation stemed from religion and the 'God given institutions'. With the elightenment this changed and now there are two secular arguements for tradiation.
One of the arguements is that tradiation represents the acumlated wisdoms of the past.
Traditional institutions, customs and practices (such as the monarchy in the UK) have demonstrated their value to earlier societies as they have survived over time.
This means they should be preserved so that the younger generations may benefit from them to.
Tradiation establishes continuity and social stability.
This view is shown in the Burkian quote where he sais that society was a "
paternship not only between those who are living, but between thise who are living, those who are dead and those who are to be born
".
The other arguement for tradiation is that it helps provide soceity and the individual with a strong sense of indentity.
Tradiation builds social cohesion and security because it offers humans a reassuring collective sense of who they are and establishes powerful ties between people and specific socities.
Radical change may cut people off from the tradiational basis of society and this will cause disorder.
Human imperfection
Human imperfection
-- this is the tradiational conservative belief that humans are flawed in a number of ways and this makes them incapable of making good decisions for themselves.
Conservatives believe that humans need to be kept in order so as to prevent them from doing evil. To ensure that order is kept conservatives stress:
A tough stance on law and order is required to deter criminal behaviour.
Human nature can't be changed and so foriegn policy must be based on national security rather than international cooperation and harmony.
Human behavoiur is competitve and this means that any succesful political system will recorginise self interest as a more powerful force then alturism.