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Summary Conservatism Notes
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Conservatism – NotesHistorical Overview
Conservative ideas arose in reaction to the growing pace of political, social and economic
change, symbolised by the French Revolution.
Classic statement of conservative principles is in Burke’s Reflections on the French
Revolution which deeply regretted the revolutionary challenge that occurred
In the 19th century, there was a growth of liberalism, socialism, and nationalism.
- While these ideologies preached reform, and supported revolution, conservatism stood
in defence of a traditional social order.
UK conservatism uses Burkean ideas, who advocated not blind resistance to change, but
rather a prudent willingness to ‘change in order to conserve’.
In continental Europe, autocratic monarchies persisted, so a very different and more
authoritarian form of conservatism developed
- defended monarchy and rigid autocratic values against the rising tide of reform.
Only with the formation of Christian Democratic parties after WW2 did Germany and Italy
fully accept political democracy and social reform.
The USA has been influenced relatively little by conservative ideas.
- Politicians of both major parties – the Republicans and the Democrats – have
traditionally resented being labelled ‘conservative’
In Africa, Asia and Latin America, political movements have developed to resist change, but
they have seldom employed specifically conservative arguments and values.
An exception to this is perhaps the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
- It has attempted to preserve traditional Japanese values and customs, supporting
distinctively conservative principles such as loyalty, duty and hierarchy.
Conservatism has also exhibited an authoritarian character - Juan Perón in Argentina
Conservatism has prospered as it is unwilling to be tied down to a fixed system of ideas.
Prominent – Thatcher and Regan who both practised an unusually radical and ideological
brand of conservatism (New Right)
New Right: An ideological trend within conservatism that embraces a blend of neoliberalism
and neoconservatism
New Right ideas draw on free-market economics and have exposed deep divisions within
conservatism.
Commentators argue that ‘Thatcherism’ and ‘Reaganism’, do not properly belong within
conservative ideology at all, as they are deeply influenced by classical liberal economics.
New Right challenged traditional conservative economic views, but it remains part of
conservative ideology.
- Has not abandoned social principles such as a belief in order, authority, and discipline,
Enthusiasm for free market – shown how conservatism has been influenced by liberal ideas.
- Conservatism has been divided between paternalistic support for state intervention and
a libertarian commitment to the free market.
- Significance of the New Right - sought to revive the electoral fortunes of conservatism by
readjusting the balance between these traditions in favour of libertarianism
1
, Core Ideas and Principles
Human Nature
Liberals and socialists tend to assume that human beings are naturally ‘good’, or that they
can be made ‘good’ if their social circumstances are improved
- Conservatives see human beings as both imperfect and imperfectible.
Conservatism has been described as a ‘philosophy of human imperfection’ (O’Sullivan)
Humans are psychologically limited and dependent creatures, fearing isolation and
instability.
They are drawn psychologically to the familiar and seek the security of knowing ‘their place’.
The belief that people desire security and belonging has led conservatives to emphasise the
importance of social order, and to be suspicious of the attractions of liberty.
- Order ensures that human life is stable and predictable; providing security in an
uncertain world.
- Liberty presents individuals with choices and can generate change and uncertainty.
Conservatives have echoed the views of Thomas Hobbes in being prepared to sacrifice
liberty in the cause of social order.
Political philosophies trace the origins of criminal behaviour to society, but conservatives
believe it is rooted in the individual.
Humankind is innately selfish and greedy, as Hobbes put it, the desire for ‘power after
power’ is the primary human urge.
Some conservatives explain this by reference to the Old Testament doctrine of ‘original sin’.
Crime is not a product of inequality or social disadvantage, as socialists and modern liberals
tend to believe; it is a consequence of basic human instincts
People can only be persuaded to behave in a civilised fashion if they are deterred from
expressing their violent and anti-social impulses.
- Only effective deterrent is law, backed up by the knowledge that it will be strictly
enforced.
This explains the conservative preference for strong government and for ‘tough’ criminal
justice regimes (long prison sentences, and corporal/capital punishment)
For conservatives, the role of law is not to uphold liberty, but to preserve order.
Conservatives have traditionally believed that the world is simply too complicated for human
reason to grasp fully.
The political world, as Michael Oakeshott put it, is ‘boundless and bottomless’.
They prefer to ground their ideas in tradition, experience, and history, adopting a cautious,
and pragmatic approach to the world and attempt to avoid dogmatic beliefs.
Political principles such as the ‘rights of man’, ‘equality’ and ‘social justice’ are fraught with
danger because they provide a blueprint for the reform or remodelling of the world.
Conservatives have typically ignored the ‘politics of principle’ and adopted instead a
traditionalist political stance
Conservative support for both traditionalism and pragmatism has weakened as a result of
the rise of the New Right.
New Right is radical, as it sought to advance free-market reforms by dismantling inherited
welfarist and interventionist structures.
Key Figure – Thomas Hobbes
2
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