Chapter 10 Conservatism

Question 1

Core ideas and principles - human imperfection

Answer 1

1. Moral imperfection - humans are selfish and motivated by base impulses
2. Intellectual imperfection - reality is beyond rational understanding. Consequently abstract ideas or theories will always be flawed.
3. Psychological imperfection - humans are security driven and socially dependent. We rely on tradition and culture for an identity.

Hobbes argued that human imperfection cannot be avoided. Humans desire power and material gratification and are distrustful of others. This is what Hobbes calls the ‘state of nature’.

Edmund Burke agreed with Hobbes that humans are imperfect but disagreed on the extent of this imperfection.

Burke believes that humans are naturally communal as their imperfection compels them to band together in supportive communities.

Burke agreed that humans are capable of making mistakes but disagrees to the extent. Decision making on rationalistic ideas of abstract thought is ill-advised, Change should be gradual.

Oakeshott argued that humans are fragile and fallible but are capable of benevolence. Oakeshott argues that society is organic and consists of intricate customs and traditions. Perfection cannot be created by imperfect creatures.

Question 2

Key Thinker Thomas Hobbes

Answer 2

Leviathan 1651 which derives its name from the biblical leviathan

1. humans are imperfect and selfish, existence would be a hellish chaotic world of constant warfare.
2. Humans are rational enough to seek order but this can only be achieved by a social contract where individuals give up freedoms to an all powerful sovereign.
3. The social contract between the people establishes and sovereign and individual autonomy ceases as all power is transferred too the sovereign who determines rights and laws. Society cannot exist before the creation of a state.
4. Hobbes recognise that the sovereign may behave in a corrupt manner but states this is unlikely as the subjects would deprive the sovereign of power.

Question 3

Key Thinker Edmund Burke

Answer 3

The Evils of Revolution, A reflection of the revolution in France 1790

1. Political power does not give those in charge the right to remodel society according to an untested and abstract blueprint. Those in power should be mindful of the society that they have inherited and their duty extends too preserving society for their descendants.
2. Society is organic, but it is not static and must change to conserve. These changes should be guided by pragmatism and empiricism.
3. Burke argues that the social contract exists between past and future generations. Meaning that change has to be careful.
4. Burke believed that the modern states was so complex that attempting to change on rationalistic ideas could lead to disaster.
5. Burke viewed society as hierarchical, while the elite had specific duties, universal suffrage would lead to mob rule.

Question 4

Key Thinker Michael Oakeshott

Answer 4

Rationalism in politics 1962, Experience and its modes 1933

1. Conservatism is as much a disposition as it is a set of political ideas. The security of long-standing customs and traditions is at the core of Oakeshott’s conservatism.
2. The politics of faith is beyond the ability of human beings because they are intellectually imperfect.
3. Government should govern in the best interests of the people through pragmatism.
4. Argued for a politics of scepticism which concluded that abstract ideas often leads to unintended negative consequences.

Question 5

Organic society or state

Answer 5

Conservatives believe that society is not created but emerges and grows like an organism. The state proceeds society, individual rights are dependent upon law and order.

1. traditional conservatives such as Hobbes, Burke and Oakeshott believed that once the state provides necessary order, society will emerge organically, maturing into complicated traditions and customs.
2. Burke wrote of little platoons of localised communities that retain their identity and enable wider integration within the nation.
3. Burke argues for the landed aristocracy to perform a crucial role in maintaining social order.

Maintaining society - past is to be revered and inaction damages the organic society so there must be change to conserve the state.

An unequal society - some parts of the organism are more important than others. There is a natural hierarchy. For Hobbes, society was to be ruled by an absolute monarch governing a ‘commonwealth’ arranged by rank and influence. For Burke, the aristocracy should lead as they were wiser and stronger than their inferiors and have a responsibility for the lower orders.

Question 6

Pragmatism

Answer 6

Pragmatic thinkers are informed by empiricism and have a deep distrust of the abstract. Neo-liberals reject this as they have a more positive view of human nature.

Question 7

Tradition

Answer 7

1. Traditions are represented by the institutions of the state and customs of society.
2. Burke argued that accumulated wisdom is found within long-standing institutions.

Question 8

Paternalism

Answer 8

Conservatives believe society is unequal and arranged in a natural hierarchy.

Traditional conservatives favoured a localised paternalism which traces back to noblesse oblige.

This develops into One-nation conservatism which argues for limited welfare.

Neo-conservatives argue that this makes people hopelessly dependent on the state.

Question 9

Libertarianism

Answer 9

Argues for limited government and negative freedoms.

Neo-liberals reject pessimism on human nature. Reject empiricism. Believe in egotistical individualism, abolishment of welfare state.

Question 10

Key Thinker Ayn Rand

Answer 10

1. Individuals are rational and their highest moral purpose is the achievement of personal happiness. Rand rejected any human imperfection and loathed collectivism because it place obligations on the individual which reduced freedom.
2. The only moral purpose of the state is too protect individual rights. Individuals should maintain their lives through their own efforts.
3. Rand believed in objectivism. Where individuals who experience negative freedom are best able to comprehend reality and achieve self-realisation and self-fulfilment. Therefore, there is a logic and virtue in selfishness. Atlas Shrugged 1957
4. Requires a small state to maintain free markets and social freedoms and to defend borders.

Question 10

Key Thinker Robert Nozick

Answer 10

1. Minarchist government with minimal interference in the lives oof individuals makes for the best society. Anarchy, State and Utopia 1974
2. The state’s primary function is to protect individual rights
3. Minarchist state allows for communities to practices their own particular moral codes.

Question 10

Differing views and tensions within conservatism - traditional conservatism

Answer 10

1. Reactionary - Hobbes’ views of traditional feudal hierarchy were challenged by the enlightenment, therefore, Hobbes’ traditional conservatism is a defensive ideology in reaction to the decline of the aristocracy.
2. Non-reactionary - Burke believed that conservatism must counter the Enlightenment and rationalism. Therefore, the change to conserve principle through empiricism offers a non-reactionary solution.
3. A natural disposition - Michael Oakeshott focuses on the psychological and intellectual aspects of human imperfection. Conservatism is a natural disposition rather than an ideology. People prefer the tried institutions rather than rationalistic ideas.

Question 11

Differing views and tensions within conservatism - one-nation conservatism

Answer 11

Early one-nation conservatism - Reaction to industrialisation which resulted in change to conserve principles on economic rights, paired with a renewed sense of national identity.

Later one-nation conservatism - effects of unemployment were a threat to the stability that Burke necessitated. Michael Oakeshott disapproved as this style of conservatism is rationally informed and ignores the limits of human reason. Aspects of social liberalism.

Question 12

Differing views and tensions within conservatism - New Right

Answer 12

Combination of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism.

Neo-liberalism - atomistic individualism, free-market economics.

Neo-conservatism - rejection of a dependency culture, moral relativism, public morality, and authoritarian law and order.

Question 13

To what extent do conservatives agree and disagree on human nature?

Answer 13

Traditional conservatives

1. the ideas of Hobbes, Burke and Oakeshott dominate the understanding that humans are morally, intellectually and psychologically imperfect.
2. Hobbes thought humans were individualistically driven and rational enough to recognise they needed and absolute monarch to enforce order.
3. Burke and Oakeshott’s view of the rational and psychologically fragility of human nature supports humans as communal creatures and view society as organic.
4. Burke’s belief in intellectual imperfection gives preference to empiricism and pragmatism

One-nation conservatives

1. Early one-nation understand need of human nature for pragmatism and organic society
2. Later one-nation are more open to rationalism

Neo-conservatives

1. Neo-cons believe in a Hobbesian view of moral imperfection and advocate for strong law an order. This leads them to believe that the state is needed to ensure an organic society for human nature.

Neo-liberals

1. Neo-liberals have a much more optimistic view
2. Neo-liberals see human nature similar to Hobbes that people are autonomous individuals
3. Argue that humans are rational and motivated to pursue their own interests.
4. Neo-liberal’s prefer scientific fact and logic to empiricism.

Question 14

To what extent do conservatives agree and disagree on the role of the state?

Answer 14

Trad cons

1. Believe in a natural hierarchy, so the state should be governed by a natural ruling class. For Hobbes this was a monarch.
2. Burke influenced traditional conservatives into accepting that society was not static and that to preserve society, the ruling class must accept that the state must enact paternally empirical inspired changes from time to time.
3. Argue that society must be protected from internal and external forces. This favours nationalism and hawkish foreign policy.

One-nation conservatives

1. Agree on noblesse oblige and paternalistic state intervention
2. Early one-nation influenced by empiricism only asked for limited state intervention
3. Later one-nation were inspired by more rational viewpoints

Neo-cons

1. Primary function of state is stability
2. less generous welfare state but there must be some to maintain order.

Neo-libs

1. miniaturist government
2. hostile to welfare state and taxation

Question 15

To what extent do conservatives agree and disagree on the nature of society

Answer 15

Trad cons

1. Organic society which cannot exist before the existence of the state
2. Society is little platoons that bind to form the nation. Organic state slowly changes
3. Public morality in society through authoritarian law
4. Perfect society is unreachable as we are flawed

One nation

1. Society is organic
2. Sympathetic to little platoons
3. Modern one nation influenced by paternalism and modern liberalism
4. More secular and inclusive

Neo-con

1. Sympathetic to organicism, little platoons, Oakeshott’s unattainable utopia
2. Religious values and dislike moral relativism
3. advocates for paternal aspects but less than one nation

Neo-lib

1. society is atomistic. Agree that society cannot pre-exist the state
2. Disagree with collectivism
3. Disagree with state intervention and prefer voluntarism in society

Question 16

To what extent do conservatives agree and disagree on the economy

Answer 16

Trad cons

1. Ambivalent about capitalism and the role of the sate
2. Supported free market through the influence of Burke

One nation

1. favour free market but realise unregulated capitalism can lead to social tension
2. Modern one nation support rationalist Keynesian economics.

Neo cons

1. Free market as best method for wealth. Informed by some values such as pragmatism so in times of crisis support greater intervention
2. Neo-liberals require the state in a night watchman role for legal contracts and the protection of private property.