Conservatism Key Terms Flashcards
(35 cards)
What is Hierarchy?
The Conservative belief that society is naturally organised in fixed tiers, where one’s position is not based on individual ability.
What is Authority?
For Conservatives, this is the idea that people in higher positions in society are best able to make decisions in the interests of the whole society; authority thus comes from above.
What is ‘change to conserve’?
That society should adapt to changing circumstances rather than reject change outright and risk rebellion and/or revolution.
What is Atomism?
That society is made up of self-interested and self-sufficient individuals (also known as egoistical individualism).
What is Laissez-faire?
A preference towards minimal government intervention in business and the state
What is Empiricism?
The idea that knowledge comes from real experience and not from abstract theories.
basing beliefs on evidence and experience, not reason
preference for evidence over theory, tends to emphasise ‘what is’ rather than ‘what should be’. Rather than stressing need for change for a theoretical ‘what should be’
What is Noblesse Oblige?
The duty of the wealthy and privileged to look after those less fortunate.
What is anti-permissiveness?
A rejection of permissiveness, which is the belief that people should make their own moral choices, suggesting there is no objective right and wrong.
What does Radical mean?
Belief whose ideas favour drastic political, economic and social change.
What is Human imperfection?
The traditional conservative belief that humans are flawed in a number of ways which makes them incapable of making good decisions for themselves.
What does Rational mean?
using reason ie thinking things through logically for yourself to try to progress, not relying on authoritative figures and organisations like churches.
What is the 18th century Enlightenment?
cultural and political movement away from religion meaning people freely explored ideas for the first time. The enlightenment ideas were about more freedom and came to be known as liberalism.
What does Neo mean?
literally means new, eg neoconservative simply means a new form of conservatism, usually referring to the new forms that emerged late twentieth century.
What is a Regicide?
overthrowing and executing a monarch
What is Paternalism?
obligations that society’s stronger and richer classes have towards the less fortunate and society has a whole, similar to responsibilities of a father/parent to a child/family
What is a ‘One Nation’ conservative?
dating from 1870s, linked to UK Conservatives like Disraeli, belief that Conservatism should prioritise national cohesion by attending to the condition of society’s poorer classes. Used since to justify conservative support for more state intervention socially and economically
What is Private property?
refers to land, buildings or other possessions not owned by the state but individuals, businesses or organisations
What is Feudalism?
stage before capitalism, lots of landowners, lots of peasants can live on their land in exchange for working (paternalistic, agricultural, lack of money changing hands)
What is Laissez-faire capitalism?
government not involved in economics
What is Mercantilism?
economic theory that trade generates wealth and is stimulated by the accumulation of profitable balances, which a government should encourage by means of protectionism.
What does it mean to be Empirical?
have to have experienced it, studied it
What is Pragmatism?
Pragmatic-doing what works, being practical (opposite of ideological)
What does it mean to be ‘Hawkish’?
militaristic, aggressive (opposite= dove)
What is Objectivism/to be an objectivist?
idea that people should be guided by their self interest, Free market economics
