Conservatism Overview
Different types of conservatives
TRADITIONAL
❖ Was a reaction to the French Revolution of 1789 - by Burke
❖ Opposed revolutionary change + egalitarian ideas
❖ Emphasis on ORDER, TRADITION, EVIDENCE + property
❖ Defended elite rule + inequality
❖ The organic development of state and society
ONE NATION
❖ Founded by Disraeli in Britain
❖ Response to the Spread of Socialism
❖ Embraced nationalism
❖ Embraced class difference but placed focus on national family - The nation-state is
something all classes should defend
❖ The ruling class had a paternal responsibility to improve the lives of the lower classes
❖ Eg, Second Great Reform Act 1867
THE NEW RIGHT
❖ Originated in America + transferred to the UK
❖ A mixture of economic liberalism + social conservatism
❖ Focus on individual freedom, free market economics, private property + small govt but
strong eg, defence and law and order
❖ Seen in Thather’s govt
Human Nature
Hobbes: (quite horrible + not a lot of faith in humanity)
● Humanity is imperfect
● People are selfish,calculating and competitive
● A world without a state to restrain them with tough law and order humans would
regard each other with ‘envy and hatred’ - life would be ‘nasty, brutish and short’
● His vision in Leviathan - He described a world of chaos before a formal state was
established, but he did credit humanity with some rationality, in that they managed to
create states
Burke: (not as bad as Hobbes)
● Humans are not rational and are flawed - believed in human imperfection
● Provides a sceptical view of humanity
● Dismisses the idea of a utopia (at the time of the french revolution)
● Does not see humanity as the monsters described by Hobbes
● Saw humans as more communal than individualistic
, ● Saw the church as having a central role + community giving individuals the support +
comfort they need
One Nation/ Oakeshott: (More positive, still negative)
● Argues conservatism is more of a psychology or state of mind rather than an ideology
● Humans fear the unknown and dislike change + prefer a routine of familiarity
● People are ‘fragile and fallible’ -Humanity is going to make a lot of mistakes however
humanity is incapable of creating a perfect society - that does not mean there can be an
improvement
● More in line with Burke than Hobbes - Argued that without laws to guide us life would
be ‘noisy, foolish and flawed’ and not absolute chaos, he also stressed the importance of
religion
● (Positive) Humanity is capable of being ‘begin and benevolent’ - (paternalism)
The New Right
● Credit humanity with rational thought
● Humans naturally desire individual freedom + should have the ability to innovate
Ayn Rand
● Wrote ‘The Virtue of Selfishness: Talks about humanity having ‘objectivism’ people were
guided by self-interest + self-fulfilment that drove human behaviour
Robert Nozick
● Saw people as egotistical as a way to reach their full potential
● Minimal state intervention in order to let individuals do so
● View on humanity is not fully positive + see the need for some formal authority
Conservatism and society
Traditional conservatism
➔ Burke: Society was made up of local communities he described as ‘little platoons’
➔ These would give people security, status and lead to a sense of community
➔ Continued through one-nation + Oakshott
The New Right
➔ Emphasis on individualism rather than the wider community
➔ Question society as a concept
KEY CONCEPTS in Society
Organic society - Society cannot be artificially created eg, Ideas of utopia talked about in
socialism are dismissed by conservatives
➔ Argue society emerges slowly over time that cannot be controlled
➔ Makes the future of society uncertain
➔ Conservatives see society as an ‘organic plant’ rather than something that can be
man-made or created - supported by Burke
Different types of conservatives
TRADITIONAL
❖ Was a reaction to the French Revolution of 1789 - by Burke
❖ Opposed revolutionary change + egalitarian ideas
❖ Emphasis on ORDER, TRADITION, EVIDENCE + property
❖ Defended elite rule + inequality
❖ The organic development of state and society
ONE NATION
❖ Founded by Disraeli in Britain
❖ Response to the Spread of Socialism
❖ Embraced nationalism
❖ Embraced class difference but placed focus on national family - The nation-state is
something all classes should defend
❖ The ruling class had a paternal responsibility to improve the lives of the lower classes
❖ Eg, Second Great Reform Act 1867
THE NEW RIGHT
❖ Originated in America + transferred to the UK
❖ A mixture of economic liberalism + social conservatism
❖ Focus on individual freedom, free market economics, private property + small govt but
strong eg, defence and law and order
❖ Seen in Thather’s govt
Human Nature
Hobbes: (quite horrible + not a lot of faith in humanity)
● Humanity is imperfect
● People are selfish,calculating and competitive
● A world without a state to restrain them with tough law and order humans would
regard each other with ‘envy and hatred’ - life would be ‘nasty, brutish and short’
● His vision in Leviathan - He described a world of chaos before a formal state was
established, but he did credit humanity with some rationality, in that they managed to
create states
Burke: (not as bad as Hobbes)
● Humans are not rational and are flawed - believed in human imperfection
● Provides a sceptical view of humanity
● Dismisses the idea of a utopia (at the time of the french revolution)
● Does not see humanity as the monsters described by Hobbes
● Saw humans as more communal than individualistic
, ● Saw the church as having a central role + community giving individuals the support +
comfort they need
One Nation/ Oakeshott: (More positive, still negative)
● Argues conservatism is more of a psychology or state of mind rather than an ideology
● Humans fear the unknown and dislike change + prefer a routine of familiarity
● People are ‘fragile and fallible’ -Humanity is going to make a lot of mistakes however
humanity is incapable of creating a perfect society - that does not mean there can be an
improvement
● More in line with Burke than Hobbes - Argued that without laws to guide us life would
be ‘noisy, foolish and flawed’ and not absolute chaos, he also stressed the importance of
religion
● (Positive) Humanity is capable of being ‘begin and benevolent’ - (paternalism)
The New Right
● Credit humanity with rational thought
● Humans naturally desire individual freedom + should have the ability to innovate
Ayn Rand
● Wrote ‘The Virtue of Selfishness: Talks about humanity having ‘objectivism’ people were
guided by self-interest + self-fulfilment that drove human behaviour
Robert Nozick
● Saw people as egotistical as a way to reach their full potential
● Minimal state intervention in order to let individuals do so
● View on humanity is not fully positive + see the need for some formal authority
Conservatism and society
Traditional conservatism
➔ Burke: Society was made up of local communities he described as ‘little platoons’
➔ These would give people security, status and lead to a sense of community
➔ Continued through one-nation + Oakshott
The New Right
➔ Emphasis on individualism rather than the wider community
➔ Question society as a concept
KEY CONCEPTS in Society
Organic society - Society cannot be artificially created eg, Ideas of utopia talked about in
socialism are dismissed by conservatives
➔ Argue society emerges slowly over time that cannot be controlled
➔ Makes the future of society uncertain
➔ Conservatives see society as an ‘organic plant’ rather than something that can be
man-made or created - supported by Burke
