To What Extent To Conservatives Agree On Society Flashcards
(16 cards)
Introduction
Conservatives are often seen as defenders of social order, tradition and stability. However, their conceptions of society diverge significantly, especially when comparing the organic, duty based vision of traditional and One Nation conservatism with the individualistic, market-driven view of neo-liberalism. At the same time, neo-conservatives present a distinct moral interpretation of society grounded in national identity and cultural cohesion. While conservatives broadly agree that society requires structure and hierarchy to function, they disagree fundamentally on what binds society together, the extent to which individuals are bound to others and the sources of authority that sustain social cohesion.
1: conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether society is an organic hierarchy or an aggregation of individuals
Traditional conservatives
-for traditional conservatives, society is not a voluntary creation but something inherited and shaped by history, custom, and obligation- society as an organic, interdependent whole, where individuals are embedded within fixed social structures and tied together by duty and tradition
-Edmund Burke viewed society as a moral organism, a “partnership between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are yet to be born”, in which change must occur gradually and with deep respect for continuity.
-this belief in the naturalness of hierarchy, where people occupy different roles based on tradition and social function, implies that inequality is not only inevitable, but desirable for social harmony.
1: conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether society is an organic hierarchy or an aggregation of individuals
One Nation conservatives
-One Nation conservatives continued this tradition, albeit with a greater concern for social cohesion in the context of industrialisation and rising class tensions
-Disraeli’s notion of the “two nations”- the rich and the poor- reflected his concern that if the privileged failed to recognise their obligations to the rest of society, the social order would collapse
-he thus promoted limited social reform not as a challenge to hierarchy, but as a way to preserve it
-the ideal society was still hierarchical and cohesive, but required active maintenance through paternalistic intervention- embodied in policies like the Second Reform Act and early public health laws.
1: conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether society is an organic hierarchy or an aggregation of individuals
Neo-liberal conservatives
-they reject this organic and duty-bound vision in favour of a voluntarist, individualistic conception of society.
-to them, society is not a shared moral project, but a space in which free individuals engage in voluntary cooperation, primarily through market exchange.
-Hayek argued that attempts to impose a collective vision on society- through welfare, redistribution, or enforced tradition- inevitably infringe on liberty and economic efficiency
-For Rand, society has no moral claim on the individual whatsoever; the only justification social arrangements are those that allow self-interested individuals to thrive without interference.
-Nozick similarly rejects any collective obligation, asserting that a just society arises not from tradition or hierarchy, but from the enforcement of contracts and property rights
1: conservatives fundamentally diverge on whether society is an organic hierarchy or an aggregation of individuals
Conclusion
This creates a stark philosophical split: while traditionalists see society as inherited and interconnected, neo-liberals see it as negotiated and optional undermining the core communitarian values of older conservative thought
2: Conservatives fundamentally diverge on the moral purpose and cultural foundation of society
Topic sentence
Conservatives also differ over what holds society together at a moral level.
2: Conservatives fundamentally diverge on the moral purpose and cultural foundation of society
Neo-conservatives
-Neo-conservatives, emerging in the late 20th century, place particular emphasis on shared moral values, national identity and cultural unity as the glue of society/
-reacting against what they saw as the excesses of social liberalism and multiculturalism, neo-cons argue that society must be anchored in traditional moral norms, especially those derived from Judeo-Christian ethics, the family, and national heritage.
-this worldview sees society as endangered by moral relativism, immigration and permissiveness, which erode shared values and weaken social bonds. They argue that without a unifying moral framework, society risks fragmentation into competing identity groups.
-hence their policy emphasis on strong law and order promotion of the nuclear family, patriotism and cultural assimilation- particularly in the face of rising immigration
2: Conservatives fundamentally diverge on the moral purpose and cultural foundation of society
Neo-liberals
-this outlook diverges sharply from the culturally neutral vision of society upheld by by neo-liberals, who argue that individuals should be free to define their own values andn lifestyles
-Neo-liberalism, rooted in classical liberalism, treats society as a pluralistic space where different lifestyles, cultures and values compete peacefully within the framework of market freedom. As long as contracts are respected and individuals are not harmed, the state has no right to enforce a common morality
-this creates a fundamental conflict: neo-conservatives demand moral homogeneity, believing it essential to national survival, while neo-liberals defend moral pluralism, even if it leads to social diversity or fragmentation.
-for instance, where neo-conservative might support legislation against so-called “immoral behaviours” such as limiting divorce and restricting immigration, a neo-liberal would likely oppose this as an unacceptable infringement on individual liberty and market fluidity.
2: Conservatives fundamentally diverge on the moral purpose and cultural foundation of society
Conclusion
This divergence also complicates the relationship between the two branches of the New Right, of which both neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism are parts. While they are often politically allied, their underlying views on society’s moral foundation are often in tension, if not outright contradiction.
Thatcher’s famous assertion of “Victorian values” reflects this tension: while she endorsed free-market individualism, she simultaneously upheld a moral vision of society rooted in family, order and duty. These contradictions show that conservatives do not share a coherent moral vision of society, even if they all express concern for social order
3: Conservatives broadly converge in viewing society as fragile and in need of order and structure
Topic sentence
Despite their differences all conservatives share a common concern for social order and stability, and view society as inherently fragile- something that must be preserved rather than reimagined.
They reject the idea that society is infinitely malleable or that human beings can thrive without structure. Whether grounded in tradition, markets or moral codes, conservatives believe that society must be held together by external frameworks that constrain behaviour, channel ambition and guard against chaos. This is a key point of convergence.
3: Conservatives broadly converge in viewing society as fragile and in need of order and structure
Traditional conservatives
- for traditional conservatives, this structure is provided by custom, religion and inherited institutions, which reflect the slow accumulation of collective wisdom.
-Burke’s opposition to revolution stemmed from his belief that attempting to reconstruct society from abstract principles would destroy the delicate fabric of civilisation.
3: Conservatives broadly converge in viewing society as fragile and in need of order and structure
One Nation
-similarly One Nation Conservatives stressed that society must be kept unified through reforms that mitigate division, not by abolishing the structure that uphold it. Social hierarchy for them is not oppressive but stabilising.
”the palace is not safe when the cottage is unhappy”
3: Conservatives broadly converge in viewing society as fragile and in need of order and structure
Neo conservatives
-neo conservatives reinforce this belief in social fragility, though from a more moralistic standpoint. They argue that permissiveness and declining respect for authority- especially the family, church and police- have eroded the disciplinary forces that keep society functional.
-their call for a return to string moral codes and national identity is another way of asserting that society needs boundaries and structure to survive.
3: Conservatives broadly converge in viewing society as fragile and in need of order and structure
Neo-liberals
-even Neo-liberals, despite their rhetorical celebration of freedom, accept the necessity of certain social constraints.
-they argue that the free market only works within a legal and cultural framework that protects private property and contractual obligation.
-Nozick’s minimal state still depends on a framework of law and order, without which liberty becomes meaningless
3: Conservatives broadly converge in viewing society as fragile and in need of order and structure
Conclusion
Thus, across the board, conservatives believe that society must have a recognisable shape, and that this shape must be maintained- even if they disagree sharply on what that shape should be
Conclusion
In conclusion, while conservatives broadly agree that society requires order, structure and continuity, their views on what binds society together and how individuals relate to it differ profoundly. Traditional and One Nation conservatives promote a vision of society as an organic whole rooted in hierarchy and obligation, while neo-liberals see it as a voluntary association of free individuals. Neo-conservatives, for their part, seek to anchor society in shared moral values and cultural cohesion, often clashing with the pluralism of the free market. Therefore, although conservatives converge in their concern for social stability, they fundamentally diverge on what that stability should look like and how it should be achieved
