this document outlines all you need to know about conservatism, key thinkers and their ideas, key terms explained, key ideas explained, the different branches and the way in which they agree and disagree about different ideas.
Conservatism seeks to conserve society as it is and is suspicious of change. Conservatism
values pragmatism over ideological thinking, seeking to adapt its values over time, according
to changes in society. However, new-right thinking withing conservatism in the 1970s and
1980s challenged much of what conservatism had traditionally stood for.
“Conservatism starts from the sentiment that good things are easily destroyed, but not
easily created” – Roger Scruton
Not all Conservatives are conservatives, many conservatives fear change that something like
a free market economic system can bring whereas Conservatives are in favor.
“Changing to conserve” is a fundamental principle of conservatism. The belief in order for
something to be preserved it continuously needs to be updated and maintained. Society
should adapt to changing circumstance
Conservatism is a “doctrine of maintenance” that promotes change but in the form of
ongoing repair and development rather than outright demolition and construction of
something new.
Hawkish – displaying an aggressive/war like or very strong position politically, economically
or diplomatically
Stagflation – persistent high inflation combined with high unemployment and stagnant
demand
Keynesianism - a system of economic management where the state directly intervenes to
stimulate the economy in order to achieve full employment, economic growth and price
stability.
Hierarchy – the conservative belief that society is naturally organized in fixed and unequal
tiers, where one’s social position or status is not based on individual ability.
Enlightenment – a European intellectual movement of the late 17th + 18th centuries,
emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition.
Authority – for conservatives, the idea that people in higher positions in society are best
able to make decisions on behalf of other people or society as a whole; authority comes
naturally from above and rests on an accepted obligation from below to obey.
Noblesse Oblige – the duty of societies elite to look after those less fortunate.
Laissez-faire - a belief in the free-market capitalist economy and minimal state intervention
in economic social and political spheres, wealth is privately owned
,Empiricism - the idea that knowledge and evidence come from real experience and not
abstract theories
Anti-permissiveness
A rejection informed by Judeo-Christian morality, of the relativist idea that there is no
wrong or right which neo-cons dubbed ‘permissiveness’. Neo-cons argue that sex before
marriage, homosexuality, abortion and drugs are wrong.
Radicalism
The belief that there should be significant or extreme political and/or social change. These
changes should occur through revolution. Conservatism is directly opposed to radicalism in
any form
Atomism – society exists as a loose collection of self-interested and self-sufficient
individuals.
this relates to the view that human beings seek autonomy and space which therefore leads
to only a vague sense of society. Conservatives traditionally rejects this view arguing that
individuals are closely connected by their communities. However new right conservative is
much more atomistic in their view of human nature and society. Neo conservatism rejects
this
Pragmatism –
An approach that evaluates theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical
application.
flexible approach to society with decisions made based on what works – to cover links
between pragmatism and traditional conservative and one-nation philosophy.
Someone’s who is a pragmatist “turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal
solutions, from fixed principles closed systems and turns toward concreteness and adequacy
toward facts, action, power” – William James 1907
Conservatives like for pragmatism is strongly linked to their view of human rationality; that
they lack the ability to comprehend the complex realities of the world. Humans can’t
understand the complexities of political society, they need simple strategies rather than
grand abstract ideas like a ‘classless society’
Pragmatism theory rejects theory and ideology in favor of practical experience, approach to
society should be flexible. Oakeshott said “to be conservative is to prefer the tried to the
untried” to maintain social stability and cohesion. Pragmatism believes a rigid attachment to
political theory or ideology leads to radical change and a worse society with uncertainty and
instability.
Pragmatism is most closely associated with Burke and Oakeshott and traditional and one
nation conservatism.
, For Burke (traditional) pragmatism was essential in facilitating natural or inevitable change
within society. He argued this change should not be opposed (change to conserve) because
a state ‘without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation’ – for
the state to keep to going, it would have to adapt to some extent. One nation conservative
hold similar attitude.
Former PM Robert Peel (1834) placed great emphasis on pragmatism. Putting this into
practice in the ‘great reform act’ (1832) giving middle class men the vote and pragmatically
accepting the emerging class.
However, more recently they have also adopted a pragmatic ‘middle way’ approach to the
economy that combines market competition with government regulation. Arguing that this
moderate economic course promotes growth + social harmony by encouraging wealth
creation through private enterprise and generating the funding for state welfare programs.
Tradition – accumulated wisdom of past societies and a connection between generations
that underpins society
– to cover how this creates stability, links with organic change, and enhances humans’
security.
The original conservative justification for tradition was based off religion and saw society’s
institutions and practices as ‘god given’ and people who try to alter these where
‘challenging god’ and would undermine society, rather than improve it. This original
justification has now been weakened by impact of enlightenment thinking + rationalism and
anti-clericalism and man-made innovations such as representative democracy.
Burke and Chesterton ideas of conserving things. Traditions contains wisdom of the past and
things like the monarchy + constitution have demonstrated their value and deemed fit for
purpose so should be preserved so future generations can benefit from them. Change can
only be justified by peaceful and gradual transition. They use the French revolution as an
example, that completely cutting of their traditions and past results in tyranny. Burke stated
that society is a “partnership not only between those who are living, but between those
who are living, those who are dead and those to be born” each generation has a duty to
safeguard and pass on wisdom of tradition to the next generation.
Secondly, conservatives champion tradition because it provides society with a strong sense
of identity and fosters social cohesion and security. Such arguments were used by
conservative opponents of the New Labor Government constitutional changes in 90s saying
it would create a mood of public uncertainty.
The enlightenment and move toward rationalism and away from religion has weakened our
ties to traditional, most conservatives (apart from Nozick and Rand) believe
Michael Oakeshott argued this move away from religion was leading to an adoption of
rationalist and abstract ideas
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