Conservatism - Authority & Hierarchy

Question 1

How do conservatives view authority?

Answer 1

Conservatives believe that authority in society is important to preserve order

Question 2

What is authority?

Answer 2

• Authority telling people in society what to do means that society functions better.
• Authority is linked to ideas of paternalism and hierarchy - there should be a social structure with people in charge of others, and those people act in the best interests of those they have authority over.
• Authority also has links to ideas of the social contract - by giving up some of our freedom we gain security through law and order.

Question 3

What are the different types of authority?

HINT: think about theorist Max Weber

Answer 3

• charismatic authority - where authority comes from the personality and characteristics of the leader
• Rational-legal authority- where authority comes from the legal system and rationalism
• traditional authority - where authority comes from tradition and custom, and acceptance of the historical state of affairs

Question 4

How do conservatives see traditional authority?

Answer 4

• some theorists (such as Max Weber) have argued that conservatives favour ‘traditional’ authority as this reflects cultural customs and respects historical tradition
• traditional authority is more likely to preserve tradition in society and traditional hierarchies
• an example of traditional authority in the UK is the fact that of the 56 PM’s the UK has had so far, 42 have studied at Oxford or Cambridge
• the monarchy is an example of traditional authority in the UK

Question 5

How do conservatives see hierarchy?

Answer 5

Conservatives believe that society is naturally hierarchical, with inequalities and different classes. Hierarchy is an important part of traditional conservatism

Question 6

What do conservatives believe about hierarchy?

Answer 6

• conservatives believe that political systems and structures that are hierarchal are the best political systems and structures
• these structures will be the fairest and most beneficial to the people inside them
• we are all born with the different merits and abilities, and so some people are more suited to leadership and high status, an others are more suited to low-status positions and jobs
• revolutionary change and abandoning hierarchy is ignorant of this fact, according to conservatives

Question 7

What is an example of hierarchy?

Answer 7

• David camerons’s government 2010-16:
• dominated by Old Etonian, privately educated and oxbridge graduates
• Oliver Letwin, aboriginal Johnson, Jo Johnson, Ed Llewelyn, Rupert Harrison
• at one point in 2015, 14 out of 28 cabinet members were privately educated

Question 8

How do new right conservatives see hierarchy?

Answer 8

• new right conservatism accepts that there are natural inequalities in society
• however, new right conservatives don’t necessarily want to preserve this order and hierarchy
• instead, inequalities lead to people to strive to work harder to improve their place in life