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CONSERVATISM - Coggle Diagram
CONSERVATISM
ORIGINS OF CONSERVATISM
- in late 18th century as a response to French Revolution which had focused on removing the monarchy and aristocracy and replacing it with a constitution and representative govt based on the englightenment ideals of rationalism and individualism.
- focused on value of custom, traditiong and continuity.
did not believe society based on reason could be achieved.
- promoted idea of change to conserve.
- a philosophy of imperfection as it saw human anture as flawed and limited in its grasp of the world.
- emphasised organic society over individualism, with society dependent on bonds of trust and affection between 'little platoons'.
- a strong state to provide order, peace and stability to make society and freedom possible.
- conservatives emphasised hierarchy and authority over equality and democracy.
traditional conservatism: from french revolution to late 19th century.
one-nation conservatism: developed after.
new right conservatism: since late 20th century has pushed conservatism into more neo-liberal direction.
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TRADITIONAL CONSERVATISM
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paternalism: the ruling elite have a sense of obligation and duty to many. govt should act like a father to its children. this involves governing in their best interests remembering that the govt often has a clearer view of those best interests than the people. the people should show deference to their leaders.
order: govt provides clear rules, discipline and guidance to ensure that society is ordered, peaceful and stable. this will create responsible citizens and ensure that freedom benefits everyone.
freedom: traditional conservatism is about freedom and the limits to freedom provided by institutions and attitudes that allow all to enjoy that freedom responsibly. these limits allow all to understand their good behaviour, trust and care for others will be reciprocated by others, partly for fear of breaking the law.
social attitudes: upholds that there are moral values (e.g. traditional marriage and the nuclear family) that have provided stability and certainty. individual freedoms need to be limited to protect these values, to ensure society is stable and works for all.
'little platoons': society is a collection of these not just individuals. each community provides a sense of security, order and stability that an individual desires. a powerful, centralised state remote from these would be damaging to society.
change to conserve: change and reform must be gradual and respect the accumulated wisdom of tradition.
empiricism: traditional conservative approach is to focus on what works (traditions, customs, attitudes) rather than what theories say will work. this means conservatism is pragmatic and flexible in its approach to tackling political problems.
ONE NATION CONSERVATISM
threat of disorder: this strand of conservatism emerges from the threat to the order of state and society from socialism, class conflict and the effects of free-market capitalism. it updates the ideas of traditional conservatism to deal with this threat.
one nation: conservatism should emphasise and focus on the bonds of affection and trust that hold society together as part of a nation. all classes and groups in society are part of one nation as society is organic, where damage or distress to one element will damage the whole. Benjamin Disraeli.
change to conserve: disraeli particularly concerned with the ravaging effects on society of an unchecked free-market. he accepted the rise of big cities and the spirit of commercialism as inevitable, so he did not want reactionary policies to head back to a previous time. he wanted instead to tackle the worst consequences of the market in order to conserve society because he saw reform as an inoculation against revolution.
paternalism: a clear bond between groups, so it is clear that the wealthy have a responsibility to the less well-off. this would involve the state intervening in the free-market economy and society to ensure social stability.
THE NEW RIGHT
small state: the new right has inspiration in Ayn Rands idea of the 'morality of rational self-interest'. for rational self-interest to be the key principle of society the state needs to be rolled back. it should be limited to providing armed forces, a police force and a court system to ensure that property is respected and contracts enforced. the new right opposes public spending on welfare as it creates a dependency culture.
free-market capitalism: the new right believes that market forces are the best method for the distribution and management of society's resources. so deep cuts in taxation, privatisation, deregulation and tight restrictions on govt spending are needed to return to free-market capitalism. everyone should be free to follow the opportunities they can in the marketplace, with minimal levels of taxation and regulation to create generalised prosperity.
society: divided between neo-conservatives who wish to return to a society built around authority, national identity and traditional morality and neo-liberals who advocate a society built around individual choice.
neo-conservatives: anti-permissive and would like to extend the role of the state to promote traditional family values, like traditional marriage, and to protect national security and defence. they fear the impact of immigration on social cohesion and national identity.
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neo-liberals: individual choice is not just about economics but also about morality and so the state should not intervene in areas of private morality. the state should be stripped back to the minimum to minimise tax and spending. they are relaxed about immigration as it is natural to a free-market to have a free movement of people/labour.
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CORE IDEAS: GOVT, FREE MARKET AND THE INDIVIDUAL
government: conservatives agree that govt is necessary to provide order, security and stability. the govt should be limited in size but should be committed to preserving and protecting the nation state. however, conservatives disagree about how far the govt can play a role in the economy, society and people's choices, morality and private lives.
free-market: the free-market, built on the principle of private property, is central to a thriving economy that can provide wealth for all. one-nation conservatives would argue, based on the principle of paternalism, that the wealthy have a duty to the less wealthy. inequality plus large influxes of cheap imports and immigrant labour threatens stability so a more interventionist role for the state in the economy is needed. neo-liberals would limit the role of the state in the economy to creating the conditions for individuals to help themselves and have their hard work and creativity fully rewarded.
the individual:
conservatives support the view that freedom and choice for the individual are important. however, they also argue that the state needs to provide stability and order for this freedom and choice to exist, and so support strong law and order measures. traditional cons support a more interventionist state to protect the organic society, whereas neo-liberals tend to see society in atomistic terms, placing far greater value on the individual and a small state.
CORE IDEAS: HUMAN NATURE
agreement:
- most conservatives, with the exception of the new right, have a pessimistic view of human nature and a philosophy of imperfection. they stress the fallibility and weakness of human nature.
- leads cons to argue that the perfect society is unachievable and dangerous.
areas of tension
HOBBES:
- held most cynical view seeing humans as selfish, fearful of others and driven by a 'desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death'.
- however, he also said human nature is rational which places his view closer to liberalism and later to neo-liberalism than traditional con.
BURKE:
- sceptical about human nature and agreed human nature is neither flawless not able to be perfected.
- however, burke did not see human nature as individualistic, selfish and brutal like hobbes. burke saw humans as flawed but capable of goodness and affection to others if their actions are informed by custom and tradition, and viewed humans as naturally seeking the bonds of trust with others in little platoons.
RAND AND NOZICK:
- broke from the philosophy of imperfection.
- their view of human nature was positive, seeing humans as rational individuals who are dignified, not brutal, in pursuit of their own goals.
- consequently, the new right leaves individuals to make their own choices in the social and economic sphere as this will lead to an inspiring future of human achievement.
OAKESHOTTE:
- built on the view of burke.
- saw human nature as 'fragile and fallible' and having an instinctive preference for the known over the unknown.
- humanity can be benign and benevolent where humans have security and their lives are shaped by custom and traditional morality.
- focus on imperfection emphasises human fallibility over human potential and the gap between human dreams and reality, and so underpins opposition to the utopian visions of radical movements and ideas. the politics of scepticism and the politics of faith.
CORE IDEAS: THE STATE
agreement:
a central aim of the state for conservatives to provide national security and law and order.
areas of tension
- Hobbes argued that the people come together in a social contract to create a sovereign. this sovereign has absolute power to ensure the order and stability necessary to allow society and freedom to thrive.
- Burke argued there was no social contract in Hobbesian terms, only a contract between the dead, the living and the yet to be born. the state is natural, organic and emerges gradually in response to human needs.
- traditional cons see an active role for the state in protecting and promoting the rights of its citizens.
- burke argued that hierarchy was natural and the state and ruling class should act with a sense of public service not self-interest, and a sense of duty to the less well-off in society.
- traditional cons see the state as paternal and moderate social reform and intervention can be justified to benefit the less fortunate.
- burke was opposed to vast, centralised and remote state structurers instead favouring local communities where natural bonds of trust, duty and loyalty can emerge.
- oakeshotte believe the state should be guided by pragmatism.
- for new right thinkers, the state should be small existing for the purposes of national security, enforcing contracts and maintaining law and order.
- for nozick, distributive justice, in the form of taxation and the welfare state was unjust as it legalised the theft of wealth, through taxation, to benefit those who have done nothing to contribute towards its creation.
CORE IDEAS: SOCIETY
traditional forms:
- paternalistic view.
- natural, organic and living with individuals bound together by common ties, obligations and responsibilities.
- tradition, custom and continuity are crucial elements of society to form the basis for these common ties.
- any attempt to radically overhaul traditional institutions, customs and practices risks doing untold damage to society.
- shared values and morals also underpin these common ties, hence con support for judeo-christian moral values, traditional marriage and patriotism.
- hobbes argued society could only exist when stability, order and authority were present - this requires obedience and loyalty to the sovereign.
- burke held an organic view of society, favouring a natural hierarchy where those with the natural talents to govern used the power of govt responsibly in the best interests of all society.
- burke favoured a society built around the little platoons, which est the common ties of affection and built up the wisdom of custom and tradition over time.
- oakeshotte emphasised the importance of the known, tried and tested, as he was sceptical about human progress.
- change should be modest and rooted in the past.
the new right:
- rand and nozick directly challenged the organic view of society, instead seeing it as atomistic, consisting of individuals rationally pursuing their own ends.
- they shared a more positive view of human progress.
- society has no right to place obligations or restrictions on the individual, such as traditions customs and shared values and morals.
- the individual should be free to make their own rational choices in both the economic and social sphere.
CORE IDEAS: THE ECONOMY
areas of agreement:
PRIVATE PROPERTY:
- all agreed it is good.
- provides the individual with security and safety in an everchanging world.
- provides basis for respecting property rights of others as we wish our property to be respected - so property is vital for order.
- has been seen as an expression of the individual, as individuals see themselves in the property that they own.
- economy should be based on private property and although there is disagreement about the role of the state in the economy, cons agree that excessive restriction on private property will limit individual freedom, creativity and hardwork.
CAPITALISM:
- is the most efficient and effective means of creating wealth.
- links directly to cons view of human nature as selfish, so people will work harder if they know they will get to keep the fruits of their labour.
- wealth inequality is natural and a reflection of the different talents, hard work and effort of individuals in society.
- desire to impose wealth equality on society is immoral, as it is not rooted in the natural justice idea that people should benefit from their own hard work.
ares of tension:
- hobbes argued that a powerful sovereign, able to impose order and stability, is essential to the working of the economy.
- burke focused on the importance of property rights and the importance of the state in protecting them. he believed the free market should be left to operate free from govt interference.
- burke argued that the natural elites had a paternalistic responsibility and the alleviation of poverty should be achieved by private charity.
- traditional cons, taking a pragmatic approach, favour protectionism, the mixed economy and welfarism to protect against the threat to one nation arising from unregulated capitalism.
- oakeshotte saw private property as a form of security and power - it should be spread as widely as possible in society to protect liberty.
- the new right are the strongest defenders of the free market as they believe this, unencumbered by the state, will reward the rational individual for their hard work and creativity.
- for nozick, the welfare state was like forced labour - individuals are forced to work to create resources for the state to give to those who have contributed nothing towards these resources.
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