Edmund Burke (conservative)

Question 1

Human nature (with quote)

Answer 1

• inherently flawed
• ‘crooked timber of humanity’
• influenced primarily by his experience of the French Revolution which made him believe that total freedom led to violence; a more Hobbesian vision. However, he believed humans were innately flawed but not fundamentally bad like Hobbes did - different beliefs in the root causes of human wrongdoing
• —> this is a more religious idea than Hobbes, similar to the idea of original sin. This could be because Hobbes was an atheist.
• Believed that base human nature was fixed (unlike liberal ideas of progression with education) and could not change
• thought humans were more likely to fail than succeed

Question 2

what is his nickname?

Answer 2

Father of Conservatism

Question 3

What did he begin as politically?

Answer 3

A Whig/early Liberal
(became a conservative thinker later on because of his beliefs around the French revolution)

Question 4

What Liberal ideas did he agree with?

Answer 4

• laissez faire capitalism with the ‘invisible hand of the market’
• emphasis on personal freedom e.g. freedom of religion; inspired by his childhood in Ireland

Question 5

What did Burke think about the economy?

Answer 5

• liked organic free market
• liked laissez faire capitalism because of his Whig background
  He had a personal association with Adam Smith so agreed with the ‘invisible hand of the market’ theory.
  Believed in the hierarchy created because it was more meritocratic/virtuous in capitalism than in aristocracy
• based on ‘natural rights’ approach (Locke inspired)

Question 6

What does Burke believe about the state?

Answer 6

• the state occurs organically/naturally
• hierarchy preserves order
• elite rule for the good of all
• the state allows for natural gregariousness
• the worst of human nature should be mitigated
• —> traditions should be kept to avoid rapidly changing shifts in social norms and ‘little platoons’/communities should have freedom from the state
  —> change should be managed rather than encouraged; avoid the risk of a dangerous revolution

Question 7

What does Burke believe about society?

Answer 7

• an aristocracy/hierarchy was a normal product of society
• societies should allow for individuality and tolerate difference
• state should enable self-improvement

Question 8

Key terms associated with Burke:

Answer 8

• Organicism: slow, gradual change rather than orchestrated deliberately
• Localism: small, local communities which limit excessive individualism
• Empiricism:
• Tradition
• Judaeo-Christian morality: religious influence like original sin idea, noblesse oblige (more altruistic/communal than liberalism), view of human nature as fixed, and self-improvement is needed.
• paternalistic noblesse oblige

Question 9

What is Burke’s personal context?

Answer 9

• Born in Dublin, Ireland, to a Catholic mother and a Protestant father. Was raised Protestant, so could attend Trinity University and become an MP. He went to a Quaker school when he was younger - inspired his view on religious tolerance. Married a Catholic as well.
• Served as an MP for nearly 30 years
• Experienced rioting in Parliament when discussing Catholic Emancipation which he agrees with; feeds into his view of human nature

Question 10

What was Burke’s key works?

Answer 10

Reflections on the Revolution in France

Question 11

social contract, human nature

What are his key quotes, and what do they mean?

Answer 11

“Society is indeed a contract… a partnership only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born.”
“Acknowledge, nurture, and prune … the crooked timber of humanity”

Question 12

Conservative state suggests what should be the aims of government?

Answer 12

• manage change
• facilitate the best of human nature
• mitigate the worst