9. How do conservatives view human nature, society, the state and the economy

Question 1

what do conservatives generally believe about human nature

Answer 1

Conservatives generally have a more pessimistic view of human nature, arguing that we are naturally selfish and unequal, and require an authority strong enough to establish order

However the different branches have very different views on the limits of our natural rational abilities, and whether our selfishness is an issue to address, or virtue to be promoted

Question 2

what do Traditional Conservatives generally believe about human nature

Answer 2

• Original sin/ human imperfection – we are flawed psychologically, morally and so we need discipline from above (god)
• Tradition – rationalists overlook our limitations – the politics of faith, and utopian ideologies are rigid and dangerous
• The conservative disposition – at times we all naturally prefer the tried to the untried in our lives

Question 3

what do One-Nation Conservatism generally believe about human nature

Answer 3

• Selfishness and the free market – Human nature means the free market might not always work in the national interest for stability
• Paternalism – given that we are naturally unequal and flawed, paternalistic intervention is wise
• Rationalism – Humans are capable of a degree of central planning – take pragmatic steps that reform and build upon the past

Question 4

what do the New Right generally believe about human nature

Answer 4

• Atomistic individualism/ Self-ownership – people have absolute rights, and the ability to rationally pursue their own self-interest
• Ethical egoism – it is morally right to act in our own self-interest – we must rationally determine what we need to do to thrive
• Framework for utopia – no single utopian vision will suit all people – humans are all unique individuals

Question 5

what do conservatives generally believe about society

Answer 5

• Conservatives are mainly concerned with society being stable and orderly – it is this that makes us free – they view law and order, property rights and civil society as all playing an important role
• However, the different branches vary on the nature of society – it is simply a collection of independent individuals, or our we bound by a web of duties, obligations and traditions?

Question 6

what do Traditional Conservatives generally believe about human nature

Answer 6

• Organic society – we are born into a web of duties – hierarchy is natural – leaders must be paternal – all organs need to be healthy
• Pragmatism – reform over innovation – change in order to conserve – be prejudiced in favour of proven institutions
• Civil society – it is the voluntary, traditional, little platoons that form us/ make us fit for freedom

Question 7

what do One-Nation Conservatives generally believe about human nature

Answer 7

• Two nations – Disraeli feared that business owners and landlords were not fulfilling their obligations as feudal landowners used to
• Noblesse Oblige – (obligation of nobility) – with privilege, land and wealth, come important social responsibilities
• Full employment as social policy – the best way to help society is to ensure that everyone can work

Question 8

what do the New Right generally believe about human nature

Answer 8

• Neo-cons feared the decline of authority and traditional values but neo-libs valued personal freedom
• Atomistic – rights are absolute side-constraints – this includes property rights – positive rights are unnatural, cannot be claimed
• Separateness of persons and self-ownership – liberty disrupts patterns – danger of the common good – ends do not justify means

Question 9

what do conservatives believe about the state

Answer 9

• Conservatives all believe that the state plays a vital role in creating order, and most are supportive of tough enforcement of the laws, particularly those that protect negative rights and freedom
• However the different branches disagree on the question of how states form, the question of who should rule, and the extent to which the state should interfere in the lives of private individuals

Question 10

what do Traditional Conservatives generally believe about the state

Answer 10

• Freedom and order – freedom requires a state strong enough to establish and enforce the laws
• Natural aristocracy / Paternalism – by virtue of their privileged birth, some are better able to make decisions in the national interest
• A civil association that pursues intimations and makes non-instrumental rules, rather than an ideological enterprise association

Question 11

what do One-Nation Conservatives generally believe about the state

Answer 11

• One Nation – conservatives must act in the national interest, not for a particular class, the state must promote one stable nation
• Middle way – promote economic growth, reduce employment, and lift people out of poverty while respecting property rights
• Minimum safety net – the state should paternalistically regulate industry and offer basic support

Question 12

what do the New Right generally believe about the state

Answer 12

• Roll back the frontiers of the state to allow market forces to function and revitalise civil society
• Neo-cons – strong state needed to enforce the law, create order, and promote traditional values
• Neo-libs – leave moral issues to individuals – the state exists to protect people from coercion – paternalism and redistribution violate absolute side-constraints

Question 13

what do conservatives believe about the economy

Answer 13

• Conservatives place great importance on property rights, and generally prefer capitalism to its alternatives, viewing the resulting inequality as an inevitable by-product of our natural differences
• However the branches disagree on the question of whether anything should be done about capitalism’s negative effects, and the extent to which the state should interfere in the market

Question 14

what do Traditional Conservatives generally believe about the state

Answer 14

• Qualified support for capitalism – it produces great wealth but disrupts hierarchy and tradition
• Feudal approach to property – holders have duties to their descendants and the less fortunate
• Free markets are preferable to rationalist attempts to innovate and centrally plan – property rights should not be undermined, inequality and hierarchy are natural

Question 15

what do One-Nation Conservatives generally believe about the state

Answer 15

• Limited regulation (reduced hours, improved working/ living conditions) can help the poor without harming the economy
• Keynesian economics and welfare state – managed demand to lower unemployment and offer basic aid
• planned capitalism – use loans and tax reforms to help businesses to become more competitive – help industries to co-ordinate and plan

Question 16

what do the New Right generally believe about the state

Answer 16

• Neo-liberalism – tackle inflation and slow growth with tax and spending cuts, free markets, monetarism, deregulation and privatisation
• Capitalism is efficient and moral – entitlement theory of justice – focus on entitlement, not moral desert – producers over takers
• Redistribution and ‘common good’ undermine self-ownership – taxation is state-sanctioned theft