Conservatism - Human Imperfection & Organic Society/State

Question 1

What is Human Imperfection?

Answer 1

Human Imperfection is the idea that human nature is flawed and unable to be perfected

Question 2

How do conservatives see human imperfection?

Answer 2

• conservatives reject ideas from the enlightenment about trying to improve human nature, arguing that human nature cannot be perfected
• human imperfection goes against the liberal idea of human rationality, that humans are rational creatures that can become more fulfilled when given the freedom to make their own choices
• excuses humans are imperfect, they are unable to make good decisions for themselves

Question 3

What is psychological imperfection?

Answer 3

• humans are psychologically imperfect - our brains mean that we are not necessarily rational
• we behave in ways that are familiar and comforting, rather than things that may better for us
• humans are attached to safety, comfort and order, rather than radical ideas and change
• so, Order and hierarchy in society should be preserved
• institutions that protect order and hierarchy should be preserved

Question 4

What is moral imperfection?

Answer 4

• humans have flawed characters and therefore cannot always act rationally or perfectly
• this leads to a conservative view of crime as being a result of a flawed moral characteristic, rather than inequalities in the world
• conservatives believe in behaviour regulation through the law (anti permissiveness - ‘necessary evil’) as a result of moral imperfection

Question 5

What is intellectual imperfection?

Answer 5

• human rationality is imperfect and unreliable, and humans are intellectually imperfect
• the world around us is more complicated than our intellects are able to comprehend
• this disagrees with the liberal view that humans can create a free society through their rationality
• instead, we are unable to fully understand the society around us, and to try and completely overhaul what already exists would not be successful

Question 6

What is an organic society/state?

Answer 6

• society develops as an organism, rather than as a man-made device, and is therefore gradually changing (evolved)
• conservatives support gradual change and believe that society will evolve to fit the needs of the present
• the idea of the organic state links to the conservative beliefs in authority, because those in authority are there because they are society’s natural leaders
• the idea of the organic state links to a cohesive society because it suggests state unity is more important than disagreements between the state’s individual parts

Question 7

What is “change to conserve”?

Answer 7

• “change to conserve” links to the ideas of organic change in society
• conservatives believe that it is important to adapt to changing circumstances in society, as long as these adaptations conserve the basic principles of coial order, hierarchy and tradition
• for this reason, many conservatives favour gradual and evolutionary change rather than radical revolutionary change
• change to conserve preserves the status quo (how things are) whilst also ensuring the Conservative Party remains relevant to the electorate

Question 8

What are some examples of “change to conserve”

Answer 8

• one-nation conservatis is an example of changing to conserve:
• one-nation conservatism emerged as a response to the emergence of capitalism in Britain during the Industrial Revolution
• PM Benjamin Disraeli tried to bring society together to form ‘one nation’, with the upper classes ruling, the middle classes making money and the working class producing goods

Question 9

What is another example of “change to conserve”?

Answer 9

• women’s suffrage!
• the Conservative Party were instrumental in bringing the women the vote in 1918 and 1928 - another example of change to conserve
• campaigns for suffrage were disruptive to social order
• the acceptance of women as voters reflected changing attitudes in society to gender

Question 10

Again, What is another example of “change to conserve”?

Answer 10

• succession rules!
• in the 21st century, David Cameron changed succession rules to the throne, allowing female heirs to recognised for the first time
• this reflects present-day attitudes to gender but also meant that the institution of the monarchy remained important in British life