A summary of each of the Conservative core values - Tradition, Human Imperfection, Organic Society, Hierarchy & Authority and Private Property - with a few example and case studies. Useful for A2 revision for Government & Politics topic 3A.
Tradition=values,
practices or
institutions that
have endured
through time.
E.g Cameron's support of
First-Past-The-Post voting
system, Cameron "I don't
want to be Prime Minister
of England, I wanted to be
Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom" (in regard
to the 2014 Scottish
Referendum)
Michael Oakeshott described
the political world as a
'boundless and bottomless' pit.
Conservatives are opposed to
the uncertainty of abstract
thinking - prefer to maintain
the status quo.
Tradition reflects
accumulated wisdom
of the past
Burke - "those who do not know
history are destined to repeat it".
It also creates a sense of identity. It
gives people a feeling of belonging,
creating social cohesion and
harmony.
Tradition is more than political
institutions. It encompasses all the
customs and social practises that are
familiar and generate security and belonging.
Human Imperfection
O'Sullivan - conservatism is a 'philosophy of human
imperfection' Conservatism holds a pessimistic, almost
Hobbesian view of human nature.
Believe humans are imperfect and
unperfectible. They are psychologically
limited and fear isolation and insability
Conservatives
stress importance
of law and order.
Without it there
will be anomie =
social instability
and anarchy.
e.g 2011 riots - DC said
causes included
economic woes and
political instability
responsible.
Religion - Old
Testament 'Adam & Eve'
doctrine of 'original sin'.
Crime is not a product
of inequality but a
consequence of human
instinct.
Organic Society
Cons. believe
human beings are
dependant and
desperately need to
belong to society.
Cons. dislike concept of 'negative liberty'
- where the individual is 'left alone'. This
will cause anomie.
Cons. believe freedom involves 'doing
one's duty' e.g parents instruct children
how to behave.
Cons. compare society to an
organism. E.g the family has
not been 'invented' but is
natural.
Hierarchy & Authority
Believe society is naturally hierarchical. Believe
inequality is inevitable in an organic society.
Burke - Natural Aristocracy - idea that talent and
leadership are innate and cannot be achieved
through self-advancement. Just as the brain, liver
and heart perform different functions in an
organism - so do the different classes.
Belief in hierarchy is strengthened by
Cons.' stance on authority. They
believe authority can only be
imposed 'from above'.
It is important and beneficial as everybody needs guidance and
security, and that comes from knowing what is expected of them.
Thatcher acted authoritatively,
resulting in Michael Heseltine's
resignation in 1989 over the Westland
Affair and her authoritarian,
uncooperative approach to
governing.
Property
In an unpredictable world,
private property gives an
individual a sense of
confidence and assurance.
They will be aware
that property must
be safeguarded and
property owners
therefore have an
interest in society
and in maintaining
law and order.
Quite often property is
hereditary and passed down
from generation to
generation - hence why DC
opposed Labour's 'Mansion
Tax'
Harold MacMillan was also critical of Thatcher's policy of privatisation,
describing it as "selling off the family silver".