Summary Conservatism revision notes (for Edexcel Politics A level)
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Course
Core Political Ideas
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
Book
UK Government and Politics for A-level Sixth Edition
Detailed revision notes on Conservatism (part of the UK Politics and Core Political Ideas paper). Includes access to key thinker profiles, summarised theory notes and examples. Refers to all branches and concepts specified by the exam board. Work produced by a student with four A* predictions and a...
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Conservatism
Origins of Conservatism
- becomes popular during the Enlightenment due to the fast development of
new political thought, religion and science
- in England, associated with the ‘Whig supremacy’ – they opposed the
Glorious Revolution and America’s Declaration of Independence as a radical
overhaul of society and were skeptical towards utopian ideals
Key ideas:
‘doctrine of maintenance’ and ‘change to conserve’ – this fundamental principle of
conservatism that distinguishes it from a reactionary ideology
human imperfection – conservatives believe that the quest for a ‘perfect’ society is
fundamentally misguided and potentially disastrous
localism – the belief in a collection of localized communities (Burke’s ‘little platoons’),
communities that provide individuals with security, status and inspiration
organicism – for conservatives society is not something that can be contrived or
created but rather something that emerges gradually and organically
empiricism – this indicates a preference for ‘evidence’ over ‘theory’ and tends to
emphasize ‘what is’ over ‘what should be’
normative – this denotes how arrangements ‘should’ be in the future – a term that
conservatives disdain, given their stress upon the uncertainty of our existence
progressive – this denotes a belief that problems invariably have solutions and that
the future must always be superior to the past and present, an assumption about
which conservatives are skeptical
noblesse oblige – Conservatives belies that those born of a high status have a duty
or responsibility to help those less fortunate within society (historically this was the
basis of feudalism)
- hard paternalism – elites determine the ‘best’ outcome for society
- soft paternalism – power still rests with the elites but there is consultation
- supported by traditional conservative PMs e.g. William Pitt, George Canning
and Robert Peel
, Overall patterns:
human nature – conservatism has been described as a ‘philosophy of imperfection’
due to its more skeptical vision of human nature and society
- conservatism rejects the malleable view of human nature and instead
stresses human imperfection
- humans are rational but ruthlessly selfish and competitive
- later conservatives, e.g. Oakeshott recognise human nature as both ‘fragile
and fallible’ as well as ‘benign and benevolent’
- New Right focus on the yearning for individual freedom and our capacity for
enterprise and innovation – Nozick claims we are ‘freedom-loving pack
animals’ who need some restraint of formal authority
society – conservatives generally agree that society must be conducive to stability,
security and order (as opposed to revolutionary change)
- localism – communities act as a break on selfish interest
- organicism
- empiricism
- tradition – Oakeshott’s ‘a society’s present direction stems from its past
development’
- hierarchy
- Judeo-Christian morality
- property – tied to support for tradition, continuity and stability
o New Right conservatives are more zealous about private property and
wish to extend it throughout society to create a ‘property-owning
democracy’
o the New Right analysis is fairly distinctive as it places greater emphasis
upon individual liberty
economy – generally conservatives support a ‘moderated’ form of capitalism, in
which free markets are tempered by state intervention in order to reduce volatility
- traditional conservatives support protectionist measures, e.g. tariffs
- laissez-faire economics supported by the New Right
o e.g. Rand arguing that ‘when the state becomes flabby, it also
becomes feeble’ and thus a streamlined state is needed to ensure law
and order exists
state – the main goal of the conservative state is to provide security and authority
- order and authority
- organic origins (but the state needs to be pragmatically responsive to needs)
- ruling class
- the New Right wish to strengthen the state by significantly ‘rolling back its
frontiers’ and to streamline intervention and government spending
- e.g. Robert Peel introduced the Great Reform Act of 1832, which ensured
representation at Westminster for the new industrial towns, and established
the Metropolitan Police Force in London – Peel argued that ‘without security
there can be no liberty’
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