To What Extent Do Conservatives Agree On The State Flashcards
(14 cards)
Introduction
All conservatives believe in the need for a state to maintain order, security and authority, rejecting anarchism and utopian visions of a stateless society. However, they disagree profoundly on the size, role and moral function of the state. While traditional and One Nation conservatives see the state as an organic, paternalistic force upholding social duty, neo liberals regard it as a necessary evil that must be tightly limited. Meanwhile, neo-conservatives call for a strong state in moral and disciplinary terms but reject economic intervention. This tension reveals that although conservatives converge on the necessity of the state, they diverge on its scope and justification.
1: conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether the state should be paternalistic or minimal
Topic sentence
One of the clearest divides within conservatism concerns the scale and responsibilities of the state.
1: conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether the state should be paternalistic or minimal
Traditional and One Nation conservatives
-traditional conservatives, influenced by thinkers like Edmund Burke and Thomas Hobbes, see the state not merely as an instrument of control, but as a moral institution that reflects accumulated wisdom and serves the common good.
-Burke argued that the state should develop organically, respecting historical continuity and serving as the custodian of order and tradition. In this view, the state has a paternalistic role, guiding citizens and ensuring the well-being of the whole society.
-similarly, one nation conservatives endorsed a compassionate and interventionist state.
-disraeli believed that the upper classes has a responsibility to care for the poor, not simply out of charity, but to preserve national unity and prevent class conflict. This led to the development of state-sponsored reform in housing, factory conditions and public health- grounded in a belief that the state has a duty to act in the interest of social cohesion
1: conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether the state should be paternalistic or minimal
Neo-liberal conservatives
-by contrast, Neo liberal conservatives see the state as inherently dangerous if allowed to grow beyond its basic protective functions.
-in their view, the state;s role should be strictly limited to enforcing contracts, protecting property rights and maintaining law and order
-any attempt to direct the economy or redistribute wealth is seen as an infringement on individual liberty and a slippery slope to tyranny.
-Friedrich Hayek warned that economic planning by the state leads inevitably to coercion, while Friedman argued that the state lacks the knowledge to effectively manage economic life.
-Nozick argued for a “Night-watchman state” which only prevents force, theft and fraud and does not engage in redistribution.
-these thinkers reject paternalism as patronising and coercive, claiming it erodes personal responsibility
1: conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether the state should be paternalistic or minimal
Conclusion
For neo-liberals, the state’s existence is a necessary evil, not a moral or communal force- thus marking a stark ideological departure from earlier conservative traditions
2:conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether the state should impose morality or permit individual freedom
Topic sentence
Conservatives also disagree on the moral purpose of the state, especially when comparing neo-liberals’ emphasis on liberty with neo-conservatives’ desire to enforce shared moral values
2:conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether the state should impose morality or permit individual freedom
Neo-conservatives
-for neo-conservatives, the state is not only a guarantor of security but a moral enforcer. They believe that the erosion of authority and the rise of permissiveness-especially since the 1960s- has led to widespread social decline, including crime, family breakdown and cultural disintegration.
-in response, neo-conservatives argue for a strong state that restores discipline, law and order, national identity and Judeo-Christian values. Politicians like Margaret thatcher, in her moral rhetoric, advocated for policies that reinforced the traditional family, education standards and national pride.
-the state should take an active role in shaping moral character of its citizens and reasserting normative values that sustain social cohesion
2:conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether the state should impose morality or permit individual freedom
Neo-liberals
-this contrast with neo-liberals, who are deeply suspicious of the idea that the state should enforce any particular conception of the good life.
-rooted in classical liberalism, neo-liberals advocate for negative freedom- freedom from interference- meaning the state should be value neutral, allowing individuals to pursue their own interests and moral choices.
-while they support strong laws to protect property and ensure market freedom, they oppose using the state to impose moral or cultural norms. This leads to the fundamental tension within the New Right, which attempts to merge these two views.
-Thatcher’s economic liberalism- based on deregulation and tax cuts- coexisted with a neo conservative social agenda on family values and national duty
2:conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether the state should impose morality or permit individual freedom
Conclusion
But philosophically, these strands clash: neo liberals seek to free individuals from the state, while neo-conservatives want to use the state to bind them to a common morality. This exposes a deep contradiction in conservative thinking about what the state is for
3:conservatives broadly converge in believing the state is essential to order, security and authority
Topic sentence
Despite these internal disputes, conservatives of all kinds agree that the state is essential to maintaining order, upholding authority, and preventing chaos. Unlike liberals and socialists who may envision a more optimistic or transformative role for the individual or collective, conservatives are united in their scepticism about human nature and their belief that without a strong state, society would descend to disorder.
3:conservatives broadly converge in believing the state is essential to order, security and authority
Traditional conservatives
-Thomas Hobbes stands at the extreme end of this view, famously arguing in Leviathan that in the absence of a powerful sovereign, like would be “nasty, brutish and short”.
-for Hobbes, the state must wield absolute authority to prevent anarchy. Although few conservatives today endorse such authoritarianism, the basic premise- that human beings are fallible and in need of firm control- remains central to the conservative worldview.
3:conservatives broadly converge in believing the state is essential to order, security and authority
Neo-liberals, neo-conservatives
-this belief is echoed across the tradition.
-traditional conservatives defend the state as the guarantor of law, tradition and continuity, while neo-conservatives rely on it to enforce cultural order and moral standards.
-even neo-liberals, for all their suspicion of state power, do not reject the state altogether. They still demand a strong legal framework to enforce contracts, protect private property, and defend national borders.
-in fact, some argue that the free market depends on a secure, rules-based environment that only the state can provide.
-in practice, conservative governments often merge these functions: defending the freedom of the individual while simultaneously upholding law and discipline. For example, thatcher’s government cut taxes and deregulated industry while also expanding police powers and taking a hard line on crime and trade unions.
3:conservatives broadly converge in believing the state is essential to order, security and authority
Conclusion
This reflects a shared conservative instinct that while the state should be constrained in some areas, it must remain strong enough to uphold authority and preserve social order
Conclusion
In conclusion, conservatives agree on the necessity of the state, particularly as a guarantor of order and security. However they disagree fundamentally on how expansive the state should be and what moral role it should play. Traditional and One Nation conservatives see the state as an organic, paternalistic force for social harmony. Neo-Liberals prefer a minimal state focused on protecting liberty and property, while neo-conservatives support a morally assertive state that enforces cultural values. These divisions reveal that although conservative tradition unites around the idea that the state must exist, it is deeply split over what that state should look like, and what it ought to do
