Often suggested that conservatives have a clearer
understanding of what they oppose than of what they
favour . In that sense , conservatism has been portrayed
as a negative philosophy, it purpose being simply to
preach resistance to, or at least suspicious of change.
However if conservatism only
reactionary to the Status quo = merely a
political attitude rather than ideology. But
what distinguished conservatives is the
distinctive way they uphold their position
against change.
Conservatism an
ideology? Prefer to
describe their beliefs
as 'common sense'.
Tradition
For some conservatives,
this emphasis on
tradition reflects their
religious change. The
world fashion by God the
Creator, traditional
customs and practices in
society will be regarded
as 'God given'. Burke
believed that society was
shaped by the 'law of our
Creator'/''. natural law' .
Human tampering with
the world challenges the
will of God, make human
affairs worse.
A practice or
institution that has
endured through time
and has therefore been
inherited from an
earlier period. Against
change
Most conservatives support
tradition without needing to
argue that it has divine origins.
Burke described society as a
pertnership between 'those who
are living those who are dead
and those who are to be born '.
G.K. Chesterson'Tradtition
means giving votes to the most
obscure of all clases. it is a
democracy of the dead.
Tradition fuses to submit to the
arrogant oligrchy of ths who
merely happen to be walking
around'.
Tradition reflects the accumulated wisdom of the
past. Past institutions and practice= 'tested by time'
and should be preserved for the benefit of the living
and for generations to come. Reflects Darwinian
belief that they have survived because they've
worked and found to be of value, endorsed by a
process of 'natural selection', demonstrated fitness
to survive. UK conservatives argue that the
institution of monarchy should be preserved
because it embodied historical wisdom and
experience-focused britan's on national loyalty ad
respect above 'party politics'-it worked wisom and
experience-the crown
Generates a sense of
identity. Individuals
recognize established
customs,, familiar. Provides
a sense of 'rootedness' and
belonging . Generates social
cohesion by linking people
to the past and providing
them with a collective sense
of who they are.
Change=journey into the
unknown,uncertain and
insecure-endangering our
happiness. Tradition
encompasses familiar
customs and generates
seucrity and belonging
Edmund Burke
Ideology-Liberal conservatism Time Period -1729-1797 Key
works-Reflections on the revolutions in France Key concepts and theories
Government although it can prevent evil is rarely promotes goof Opposed
abolition of the monarchy as new institutions were not tried and tested
Peoples desire to be ruled and controlled and hierarchy property and order
promote stability He regarded market forces as natural law He described
society as a partnership between ‘those who are living and those who are
dead and those who are to be born He advocated not blind resistance to
change , but rather a prudent willingness to ‘change in order to conserve’
He was a critic of democrat as he believed it brought tyranny Was the
father of one nation conservatism . Supported classical economics of
Adam Smith and regarded market forces as 'natural law'
Quotes ‘The only thing necessary for the trumping evil is for good men to do nothing’ ‘All tyranny
needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent’ Context 1700 one year
after the French dismissed theory monarchy and at a time where growing hysteria in England over
whether revolution would cross he channel. Provoked a vehement criticism of the action of
revolutionary, the book turned into a general manual for conservatism Burkes reflections is a plea for
the preservation of order ad gradual reform as opposed to disorder that result from revolutionary
change The French revolution sacrifice s order and security in order to impose abstract theories that
were premature, unnecessary and not generally supported by the majority of the people The natural
aristocracy were born to rule The fact that values and institutions have survived argue conservatives in
general is a testament to their quality
Human Imperfection
Conservatism='philosophy of human
imperfection'(O'sullivan). Conservative
dismiss other ideologies idealistist utopian
dreams of human perfction ad argue
instead that human beings are both
imperfect and imperfectible
1) Psychologically limited and dependent creatures, fear
isolation and instability, drawn to the psychologically to the
safe and familiar and above all seek the 'security of knowing
their place'
Therefore emphasise the importance of
social order & are suspicious of the
attractions of liberty. Order ensures that
human life is stable and predictable
-provides security in an uncertain world.
Thomas Hobbes-prepared to sacrifice
liberty in the cause of social order
Pessimistic, Hobbesian POV. Humankind is
innatley selfish and greedy and not
perfectible-Hobbes, the desire for 'power after
power' is the primary human urge. Sme
explain this through the Old estaments
'original sin'. Crime=not a product of
inequality or social disadvantage but a
cosequece f base human institintcts. People
can olu be persuaded to be civilized if
deterred from expressing their violent and
anti-social impulses. Only effective deterrent
is the law, backed up by the knowledge that
it is strictly enforced
Explains conservative preference
for string govt and 'tough' criminal
justice regimes, based on long
sentences and corporal
punishment/capital. The concepts of
law and order are so closely related
for conservatives that they have
become a single fused concepts
Limited intellectual powers. The world is to complicated for human
reason to graspfully. The political world is 'boundless and boundless'
(Michael Oakeshott).C= csuspicious of abstract ideas and systems that are
simply incomprehnsible . Ground ideas in tradition, experience, and
history, adopting a cautious, moderate and above all pragmatic approach
to the world and avoiding doctrinai o dogmatic beleifs. High sounding
principles-'rights of man' ' 'equality' and 'social justice are fraught with
danger-provide a blueprint for the reform or the remodeling of the world ,
C warn that these lead, often, to greater suffering. C-doing nothing is
preferable to doing something-'the cure is not worse than the
disease'(Oakeshott)
C support for traditionalism and pragmaism has
weakened as a result of the rise of the new
right-radical-sought to advance free market reforms by
dimantaling inherited welfarist and interventionists
structures and new rigt radicalism is based on
rationalim and a commitment to abstract theories and
principles-economic liberalism
Organic Society
ORGANICISM-A
beleif that society
operates like an
organism or living
entity , the whole being
more than a collection
of its individual parts.
ANOMIE: A
weakening of values
and normative rules,
associated with
feelings of isolation,
loneliness and
meaninglessness