Conservatism society shortened

Question 1

1) agree order, property and tradition

Answer 1

Conservative Agreement: Order, Property & Tradition
1. Order

All conservatives agree order is essential, guaranteed by a strong state.
Hobbes (‘Leviathan’): Without state, life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Human nature = self-interested, needs control.
Even the New Right, despite hating big government, accept state’s role in maintaining order (e.g. Rand: gov’s only job is to protect rights and stop violence).
2. Property

Property = stability + responsibility, deters socialist ideas.
Ownership is part of the organic society, tying individuals to the community.
One-nation: Macmillan built 300,000 homes/year post-WWII.
New Right: Thatcher’s Right to Buy gave council tenants property ownership.
🔁 Counterpoint: New Right sees property as a natural individual right, not just about order.
3. Traditional Values

Conservatives value Judaeo-Christian morality, nuclear family, and social stability.
Traditional & One-nation: uphold tradition and institutions.
New Right (neoconservatives): oppose permissiveness, defend family/morality against 1970s liberal trends.
Belief: stable society + moral order are essential for true individual freedom.

Question 2

Debate 2 - type of society ?

Answer 2

Organic Society – Traditional & One-Nation Conservatism
Society = Living organism, not a machine. Develops naturally, not designed by rational planning.
Change is gradual and evolutionary, not forced.
Values stability, tradition, and cohesion over individual desires.
Institutions like the Church and monarchy are vital organs—preserve identity and order.
Burke’s “little platoons”: families, local communities = the foundation of society, give belonging and unity.
One-nation conservatives stress patriotism and national unity across classes and regions.
Atomism – The New Right
Rejects organic society. Believes society is a collection of individuals (atomism).
Prioritises individual freedom over social cohesion.
Rand: “The smallest minority on earth is the individual.”
Thatcher (1987): “There is no such thing as society… only individuals and families.”
Focus on individualism, minimal state, free-market economics.

Question 3

Paternalism and hierarchy

Answer 3

Paternalism & Hierarchy in Conservatism
1. Traditional & One-Nation Conservatives

Paternalism: Top-down authority that governs in people’s best interests.
Rooted in belief in human imperfection—not all can govern themselves.
Traditional: Strong state knows best; authoritarian and elitist.
One-nation: Driven by noblesse oblige—duty of the privileged to care for the poor (e.g. Disraeli’s 1875 reforms).
Aim: Prevent revolution by improving life for the poor (“The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy”).

Hierarchy:Traditional conservatives argue that hierarchy fosters stability and continuity in society. It provides clear roles and expectations for individuals, contributing to social harmony and preventing chaos, whilst promoting respect for authority and tradition.
In ‘Reflections on the Revolution in Franceʼ, Burke demonstrated his belief that hierarchy in society is natural by stating “We fear God; we look up with awe to kings; with affection to parliaments; with duty to magistrates; with reverence to priests, and with respect to nobility.”
Importantly, one-nation conservativesʼ support for parternalism is not just due to a belief in moral duty, but also a pragmatic strategy to uphold and maintain hierarchy and the position of the aristocracy atop the social hierarchy in positions of power and wealth.

2. The New Right

Rejects paternalism & hierarchy.
Promotes individualism, autonomy, and meritocracy.
Belief: Individuals rise/fall by their own effort in a free market.
Minimal state: No welfare or top-down support.
Ayn Rand: Strongly anti-altruism.
Helping others = encourages dependence.
“The man who lives for others is a dependent… a parasite.”
Favours rational self-interest over self-sacrifice.
🔁 Counterpoint: not 100% anti-hierarchy neoliberalism led to inequality, but justified hierarchy as it as earned via hard work (meritocracy).