Conservatism Key Thinkers

Key Thinkers:

Strands of Conservatism:

Traditional Conservatism (Reactionary/ Non-reactionary)
One Nation Conservatism
New Right (neo liberal (promote free market capitalism & reduction in spending), neo conservatives)

Core Ideas:

Human imperfection, organic society state
pragmatism (flexible approach), empiricism
tradition, paternalism (protection from harm - noblesse oblige), libertarianism (minimal state intervention)

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Key Ideas:

Humans are imperfect and self seeking desiring power - 'state of nature'
Humans were rational enough to see that they needed protection from themselves
pessimistic view of human nature
autocratic - dictator -> use control to gain power of people
individuals would seek a social contract (associated with John Locke) with an autocratic leader and give up their freedom in return for protection
John Locke social contract - give consent to leader and can withdraw if they harm
Hobbes social contract gave power to a leader permanently, who will protect us, giving us an autocracy
hierarchies are essential to preserve order. Those in authority gain their legitimacy from their position in the hierarchy - these ideas feed into conservative views on law and order

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Key Ideas:

organic society must sometimes change to conserve guided by history, pragmatism and empiricism
human imperfection means it is not possible for humans to create abstarct ideas that work
social order must not be sacrificed for utopian (perfect, idealistic) ideas
free market is the natural state of the market and the state should protect laissez faire capitalism
that society could change after careful consideration, unlike reactionary
Disraeli didn't intervene in the economy - he played a central role in the creation of the conservative party and gave working class the right ot vote

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Key Ideas:

conservatism is a natural disposition rather than an ideology
negative view on human nature means intellectual imperfection. Therefore, excessive focus on rational planning policies that are flawed
keynesianism - spending affecting empolyment/inflation
free market is the normal state of the market
intervention limited to pragmatic moderation
'to be conservative then is to prefer the familiar to the unknown to prefer the tried to the untried, fact to mystery'

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Key Ideas:

individuals are rational and their highest moral purpose is to achieve personal happiness
belief in objectivism - individuals should be guided by self interest to achieve self realisation and fulfiment
atomistic society - belief in individual society opposite to society being collective]
oppressed welfare provision preferring voluntarism
belief in the individual meant she supported homosexuality and abortion

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Key Ideas:

tensions within conservatism oh human nature, economy, role of state:

main fault like within conservatism is between traditional and the new right
division caused by different views on human nature (traditional = negative view, neo liberals = positive view)

tensions within the new right (neo liberals, libertarians, neo conservatives):

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