Conservatism Flashcards
(16 cards)
to what extent do conservatives agree about human nature? disagree
(pessimistic view)
- Nozick, “there. There are only individual people, different individual people, with their own lives”
- Humans are self-interested and so cannot be trusted individuals to act in the interest of the collective good.
- Burke, “We are afraid to put men to live and trade each on his own private stock of reason… we suspect that he is no better than a fool.”
- Burke expresses deep scepticism in human rationality and individual judgment.
- He believed people are morally and intellectually limited, which is why society must be rooted in tradition and collective wisdom.
- This reflects the traditional conservative view that flawed human nature makes radical change dangerous
To what extent do conservatives agree about the state?
agree//The primary purpose of the state is to maintain law and order.
- agree
The primary purpose of the state is to maintain law and order.
- Hobbes: “the condition of a man … is a condition of a war of everyone against everyone” (Leviathan)//a strong state is needed otherwise society would fall into chaos.”
- Nozick, “ a minimal state is the only state that is justified. any other state more extensively violates people’s rights”// Nozick also believed in a role for the state, but only to protect individuals’ rights, including enforcing contracts and protecting against force or fraud. This shows a more limited view of law and order, but still agrees that its preservation is essential.
To what extent do conservatives agree about the state?
disagree// paternalistic view of the state (rich should provide for the poor
- Oakeshott// “to be conservative is to prefer the tried, to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible”// Oakeshott rejects grand state schemes for social engineering, including redistribution. His conservative values are pragmatic governance, not ideological social welfare policies. Even within One-Nation thinking, there’s hesitation about state paternalism when it’s overly rationalist or utopian
- Nozick, “Taxation on earnings from labour is on par with forced labour” //Nozick believes redistributing wealth via the state is a violation of individual liberty. He sees forced redistribution (e.g., rich providing for the poor through tax) as morally equivalent to slavery.
To what extent do conservatives agree about the state?
disagree// authoritarian state vs libertarian state
- Traditional conservatism (authoritarian) Hobbes
- “Covenants, without the sword, are but words, and of no strength to secure a man at all.” – Leviathan //
- Hobbes argues that a strong, centralized authority (the “Leviathan”) is essential to prevent disorder, reflecting a belief in the need for an authoritarian state to maintain security and stability.
- New Right (Neoliberal) – Robert Nozick (libertarian):
- “Individuals have rights, and there are things no person or group may do to them (without violating their rights).” //– Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974)//
- Nozick promotes a minimal state that only protects basic rights, opposing any form of authoritarian control, and endorsing maximum personal and economic freedom.
To what extent are conservatives united on their view of the economy?
agree
accept capitalism and the protection of private property
Robert Nozick; “Taxation to earnings from labour is on par with forced labour.”
Edmund Burke, “the power of perpetuating our property in our families is one of the most valuable and interesting circumstances belonging to it.”
To what extent are conservatives united on their view of the economy?
disagree
pragmatic vs ideological approach to social change
- Edmund Burke, “ society without the means of some change is one without the means to conservation”//gradualist, tradition, pragmatic social change etc
- Ayn Rand: “The question isn’t who is going to let me, but who is going to stop me” // ideological approach to change// against tradition and gradualism
To what extent are conservatives united on their view of the economy?
disagree
lassez faire economics (let do)
- Disraeli; “the palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy.” // skeptical of pure lassez faire economics and favour limited state intervention to avoid social divisions.
- Burke; “society is indeed a contract, not just between those that are living, but between those who are living and those who are dead, and those yet to be born”// opposition of radical free market economics
To what extent do conservatives agree about human nature?
disagree// capability of reason
- Rand: “a man’s mind is his basic tool of survival”
- one nation
- “Oakshott; “to be conservative is to prefer the tried to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible”
To what extent do conservatives agree about human nature?
agree// humans are naturally self-interested.
- RAND// “ Man- every man is an in himself, not a means to the end of others.
- Hobbes// state of nature “the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short/” leviathna
To what extent do conservatives agree over society
disagree//organic society
- Neoconservatives such as Thatcher believe that “there is no such thing as society, there are individual men and women and families”
- Disrali: “The British constitution is a partnership in all science, as in all art, between the dead, the living, and the unborn.”
- Traditional conservatives such as Burke believe that society is indeed a contract, between those who are living and those who are dead.’
To what extent do conservatives agree about society
agree 1//social hierachy is justifiable
- All conservatives agree that social hierarchy is justifiable.
- Oakshott: “taxation to earnings from labour is on par with forced labour.”
- For Burke, social hierarchy is not arbitrary but rooted in historical continuity and empirical experience.
- Rand… or nozick ????
to what extent do conservatives agree on society?
agree 2//- Conservatives somewhat agree on taking a pragmatic or gradualistic approach to society
- Conservatives somewhat agree on taking a pragmatic or gradualistic approach to society
- oakshott// “to be conservative is to prefer the tried to the untried, the known to the unknown and the actual to the possible”
- Burke// a state without the means of some change is a state without the means of its conservation.”
To what extent are conservatives united on the economy (points)
- Accept capitalism and private property
- disagree on laissez-faire economics
- Disagree on pragmatic vs ideological approach to social change
To what extent are conservatives united on human nature (points)
- capability to reason (disagree)
- humans are self-interested (agree)
- flawed/pessimistic/imperfect nature of humans (disagree)
To what extent are conservatives united on their views of society
- organic society (disagree)
- Social hierachy is justified (agree)
- pragmatic and gradualistic approach to society (agree)
To what extent are conservatives united on their view of the state? (points)
- The main purpose is to maintain law and order (agree)
- whether the state has a paternalistic duty to help the poor. (disagree)
- authoritarian vs libertarian state (disagree)
