Conservatives on the state

Question 1

structure

Answer 1

one agree and two disagree

Question 2

agree- state provides order and security

Answer 2

The state’s primary function is to maintain order and security, rather than pursue progressive change.
Rooted in human imperfection, requiring structured authority to prevent conflict.
Hobbes and the Necessity of a Strong State:
In Leviathan, Hobbes warned that without the state, life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Individuals must surrender some rights to the state to ensure order.
Once established, the sovereign power must not be challenged: “The sovereign power cannot justly be questioned or opposed once it has been established.”
Traditional Conservatives and Authoritarianism:
View the state as a paternalistic entity that knows what’s best for the people.
Advocated top-down governance by an elite ruling class to ensure stability and order.
Robert Peel’s Metropolitan Police (1829) exemplifies the traditional conservative belief in law and order as essential for stability.
New Right: Strong on Law and Order, Limited in Economy:
Though advocating for limited government in economic affairs, the New Right strongly supports state power in security and defence.
Rand: “The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man’s rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence.”
Neoconservatism emphasises national defence and policing as essential for sovereignty and public safety.
Thatcher’s government prioritised defence and law enforcement spending, even amid cuts to the broader public sector

Question 3

disagree- state in economy and paternalism

Answer 3

Supports some state intervention to uphold social welfare and prevent unrest.
Rooted in ‘noblesse oblige’, the duty of the privileged to support the less fortunate.
Disraeli’s social reforms (e.g. Public Health Act 1875, Factory Act 1874) balanced social stability with hierarchy.
Motivated by both moral responsibility and pragmatic preservation of the status quo.
Disraeli: “The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy.”
The New Right: Individualism and Minimal State
Rejects paternalism, believing state intervention restricts freedom and stifles growth.
Supports laissez-faire capitalism, reducing welfare and taxation.
Nozick: Taxation is “on par with forced labor.”
Rand: “The difference between a welfare state and a totalitarian state is a matter of time.”
Thatcher: Reduced state influence, privatised industries, cut top tax rate from 83% to 40%.
Core Disagreement:
One-Nation Conservatives accept pragmatic state intervention to maintain stability.
The New Right views state intervention as an infringement on individual liberty and a step toward authoritarianism.
rand is against altruism

Question 4

diagree- state acting based on pragmatism and tradition

Answer 4

State action should be based on practicality, not ideology.
Burke: Warned against radical change (e.g. French Revolution) in favor of gradual, cautious reform.
Oakeshott: Governance is like sailing a ship, adjusting to circumstances rather than chasing utopian ideals.
Society is organic, evolving over time, meaning the state must balance tradition with necessary reform.
Response to industrialisation: Pragmatic state intervention (e.g. welfare policies) to prevent social unrest and maintain hierarchy.
The New Right: Ideology and Negative Freedom
Rejects pragmatism, driven by a belief in individual liberty above all.
Libertarianism: The state should only protect rights and enforce contracts, not manage the economy.
Nozick: “Taxation of earnings is on par with forced labor.”
Self-ownership principle: Individuals own their bodies and labor and shouldn’t be coerced for collective purposes.
Critique of One-Nation Conservatism: Saw its pragmatic state intervention as a betrayal of true conservatism, too close to socialism.
Core Disagreement:
Pragmatism vs. Ideology – One-Nation Conservatives act based on what works, the New Right acts based on pure principles of freedom.
State’s Role – Traditional conservatives see the state as an organic protector of order, the New Right as a minimal enforcer of individual rights..