Summary
Summary Notes and Essay Plans for socialism, conservatism, and liberalism
- Course
- Institution
Notes and Essay Plans for socialism, conservatism, and liberalism Notes and facts about the key thinkers needed with precise knowledge
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
omarsheikh682
Content preview
Conservatism:● The 5 key thinkers for conservatism are, Thomas Hobbes, Edmund Burke, Ayn
Rand, Michael Oakeshott and Robert Nozick
● Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679):
● He was an English philosopher and emphasised two main ideas
● Order- an ordered society is needed to balance the human need to a free life
● Human Imperfection- humans are needy and vulnerable
● According to Hobbes, freedom without order and authority would cause chaos
● Government is established by the consent of the people, as they are voted by the
people in order to preserve order and peace
● Since humans are needy and vulnerable, people will compete violently to gain
the basic necessities of life. Humans are competitive and will challenge others to
obtain the best for themselves
● People interpret the world around them which is distorted by self interest, as
people are competitive and want what is best for themselves
● Hobbes concludes that the society should be a peaceful life under a strong
government to guarantee order and security
● Edmund Burke (1729-97):
● Irish politician and writer. Part of the Whig Party and an MP for many years
● Change has to be gradual or it will disrupt society
● Regarded as the founder of conservatism
● Quick change will only end in chaos and tyranny
● The state was resembled as a living organism, any change can be made if
necessary to preserve social stability and social harmony
● Revolutionary change can lead to social and political breakdown
● Tradition represent the wisdom and order in society which should be preserved
and respected
● Continuation of tradition and empiricism promotes social continuity and stability
● Tradition and empiricism should be passed onto future generations
● Allows people to be tied into society and not feel left out
● Michael Oakeshott (1901-90):
● Pragmatism rather than ideology
● Ideologies complex situations
● Specialises on human imperfection and pragmatism
● Society is unpredictable and complex
● Rational attempts and decisions are good for society
● However, not everyone will make these decisions as some people are irrational
● Communist regimes in the 20th century were perfect examples of misguided
human rationalism
, ● A pragmatic approach delivers the interests of the people
● It also maintains a social stability
● Flexible and decisions could be made easily, unlike an ideological approach
● Ayn Rand(1905-82):
● Russian born american philosopher
● People should pursue their happiness and their dreams
● Hard work to achieve a life of purpose and productiveness
● Rational self interest and a laissez-faire economy
● Rejects government welfare and wealth redistribution programmes
● Disapproves personal altruism, because people do not make rational self
interested decisions
● Laissez-faire economy allows an individual to be self interested and making
rational decisions
● Robert Nozick(1938-2002):
● US philosopher and right wing libertarian
● Intellectual figure in the creation of the New Right( neoconservatism and
neoliberalism)
● Individuals own their bodies, talents, abilities and labour
● Argued that since humans are rational, it gives them rights to their lives, liberty
and results from their labour
● Individuals cannot be forced to work for another person’s purposes no matter if
its good or bad
● Taxes to fund welfare programmes are immoral
● They amount to a type of forced labour that is imposed by the state
● For example, you are working for free for some of your wage as it will be taxed
● Treat individuals as a means of a resource to further goals of equality which
violates the idea of self interest
● Night watchman state: role of the state must be restricted in order to preserve
individual freedom
● Promotes self ownership
● Self ownership opposes taxation in order to fund welfare states
● Taxation is a form of slavery-working for free as part of your wage
● Welfare programmes can create a dependency culture, where people have no
incentives to work
● 6 core idea and principles of conservatism, Pragmatism, Tradition, Human
Imperfection, organic society, paternalism, libertarianism
● Pragmatism: Doing what is best for the people, doing what is best in the
moment
● Making rational decisions
● Humans lack the intellectual ability to comprehend the realities of the world
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller omarsheikh682. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.30. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
79223 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now