...CONSERVATISM Key concepts 1) Hierarchy and organic society * The term ‘organic society’ refers to a belief, which became entrenched in traditional conservative thought in the latter part of the 19th century. * It was a reaction against the rise of liberal individualism. * It proposes that society is more than merely a collection of individuals, but it is a single entity. * We are connected to each other through our humanity and common membership of community. * Organic society is seen as a reality, which is superior to our own, individual interests. * The ideal organic society – where goals and aspirations of individuals coincide with the goals of the whole society. 1980s – Margaret Thatcher famously challenged this remarking that there “is no such thing as society”, implying that the goals of individuals are superior to those of society as a whole. * Traditional conservatives believe that there is a ‘natural’ order into which each individual fits. * It is normal and natural that society should be divided by a number of strata. * The very rigid feudal system had long since disappeared, but there remained a belief that some kind of class system was inevitable. * Hierarchy like this supports organic society in that it creates an order and stability, which the individualistic society lacks. * Different parts of the hierarchy have different roles that complement each other. * This implies inequality, but an ordered inequality, and one in which...
Words: 4496 - Pages: 18
...n Australia the "New Right" refers to a late 1970s/1980s onward movement both within and outside of the Liberal/National Coalition which advocates economically liberal and increased socially conservative policies (as opposed to the "old right" which advocated economically conservative policies and small-l liberals with more socially liberal views). Unlike the United Kingdom and United States, but like neighbouring New Zealand, the 1980s saw the Australian Labor Party initiate Third Way economic reforms, which bear some familiarity to "New Right" ideology. After the John Howard Coalition defeated 13-year Labor government at the 1996 federal election, economic reforms were taken further, some examples being wholesale labour market deregulation (e.g. WorkChoices), the introduction of a Goods and Services Tax (GST), the privatisation of the telecommunications monopoly Telstra, and sweeping welfare reform including "work for the dole". The H. R. Nicholls Society, a think tank which advocates full workplace deregulation, contains some Liberal MPs as members and is seen to be of the New Right. Economic liberalism, also called economic rationalism in Australia, was first used by Labor's Gough Whitlam.[2] It is a philosophy which tends to advocate a free market economy, increased deregulation, privatisation, lower direct taxation and higher indirect taxation, and a reduction of the size of the welfare state. The politicians favouring New Right ideology were referred to as "dries", while...
Words: 1997 - Pages: 8
...that it exhibits features that are normally associated with living organisms – human beings or plants. In this view, societies are complex networks of relationships that ultimately exist to maintain the whole, the whole being more important than its individual parts. In that sense, society differs from a machine, which is merely a collection of parts. The conservative notion of an organic society has a variety of implications, including the following: It implies that change, particularly radical change, is undesirable, as it misguidedly treats society as if it were a machine whose parts can be assembled and reassembled, recast and reformed, in the hope of improving its workings. It supports a ‘communitarian’ tendency within traditional conservatism that stresses the importance of social duty and obligation, and is linked to the One Nation tradition. The health of an organic society is upheld by attempts to strengthen the ‘fabric’ of society, in line with a functionalist view of...
Words: 1026 - Pages: 5
...What is Conservatism according to Burke? Under what circumstances could you become conservative yourself? Before I start talking about Edmund Burke and how I see the Conservatism and my point of view about it, I first have to say what actually Conservatism is. It is impossible to compare Conservatism with liberalism, socialism or communism and the reason for that is very simple. Conservatism is something completely different. The ideas of it and the way it “sees the word” has nothing to do with these of the other political philosophies. Even the origins of Conservatism are unique compared to these of the rest because unlike them Conservatism does not arise from philosophical foundation. We can describe it as a response, as a way to see the radical changes in the society and the total revolution like something that must never happen. Conservatism is a way of thinking. It shows us that it is impossible for us , the human beings, to be perfect if we achieve more or a complete freedom. According to that way of thinking people are full of weaknesses because they are a product of the Original Sin. Unlike socialists and liberals, conservatives believe that people are corruptible, selfish and weak and that’s why they must not believe in the infallibility of their thoughts. If they do that it would be impossible to have a normal life because people will hate each other and do everything possible to harm each other in one way or another. In order to prevent that conservatives...
Words: 831 - Pages: 4
...Classical Liberalism VS Classical Conservatism Are you Republican or Democrat? Maybe you are Conservative or Liberal? What do these terms mean and how did they begin? Classical Conservatism is defined as “a political philosophy emphasizing the need for the principles of natural law and transcendent moral order.”(Frohnen, Beer, and Nelson, 2006) Classical Liberalism is described as “a philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets.” (Hudelson, 1999) These two ideas have shaped our philosophies and parties for centuries to come. These philosophies were made possible by many bright men of the time like Edmund Burke, John Adams, John Locke and Adam Smith. Classical conservatism or traditional conservatism, Burkean conservatism, and Toryism, is a party that has re-expressed their convections to fit the time. (Frohnen, Beer, and Nelson, 2006) In classical conservatism, many parties have adapted their view points. One of the first parties in American that adapted the philosophies of conservatism was the Whigs. The Whigs opposed monarchial power, advocated internal reform of administration, and freedom under the law. They believed in balancing orders in the common wealth and religious toleration. (Kirk, 1953) One person highly recognized for his work in the public sector for conservatism was Edmund Burke. Edmund Burke was born January 12, 1729 in Dublin, Ireland, and...
Words: 2096 - Pages: 9
...Conservatism does not have one single viewpoint or stance on human nature or imperfection as Conservatism as a whole encompasses different strands or beliefs within it. For example One Nation conservatives have a different philosophy on human imperfection than New Right conservatives do. One Nation conservatives hold the belief that we as humans are: greedy and have a limited capacity for altruism, a complex mix of emotions and contradictory motivations making us irrational, not totally consistent and are at balance the majority of the time with corruption. They believe that our inherent imperfect human nature stems from original sin, the Christian Belief. This shows a wholesome negative outlook on human nature. The New Right on the other hand is more positive as a result of the neo-liberal ideological view that we are in fact rational, shown by the classical liberal belief in self-regulating society and a ‘realm of coercion’. However, as the New Right is a marriage of neo-liberal and neo-conservative views there is also the negative view of human nature present, as held by traditional conservatives. At the heart of the debate, obviously is whether or not conservatism is a philosophy of imperfection, it is my view that it is a philosophy of imperfection to a large extent, as I will explain now. To begin, it is important to quote O’Sullivan who in 1976 said that conservatism is a ‘philosophy of imperfection. He said this, as unlike many ideologies which believe that humans are...
Words: 1663 - Pages: 7
...What does Conservatism seek to conserve and why? The nature of Conservatism as an ideology is most clearly illuminated when one examines its origins. Conservatism was galvanised as a movement as a result of its rejection of the liberal ideas of the enlightenment on the basis of a negative view of human nature Conservatism at least in terms of its roots is thus, fundamentally reactive – indeed this can even be seen in the title of Burke’s work – Reflections on the Revolution in France This reactive nature can be seen to be reflected in Conservatism’s Summum Bonum – it is pragmatic as opposed to ideological – the preservation of order. As a movement it thus seeks to conserve the societal status quo in the face of changes or the threat of changes – thus it is evident that what conservatives wish to conserve is in fact dictated by the nature of society at the time as opposed to ideological attachments to certain elements within society… However, in the fact that Conservatives view their efforts to conserve as a means to the pragmatic end of social order – the ideas and institutions that Conservatives attempt to safeguard can be grouped together regardless of their contrasting context within societies, due to their shared end This conservation of similar elements within different societies can be seen in the case of moral values – a concept that has been defended by both Traditional and New Right Conservatives… For Early Conservative’s the issue of morality was one principally...
Words: 745 - Pages: 3
...1/13/2011 Conservatism: The Convoluted and Controlling Movement of the 1950’s In the 1950’s, intellectuals were crucial in shaping a conservative movement. The main tactics from the viewpoint of the conservatives was the waging and winning of the Cold War and the American public's rejection of the idea that the federal government should be the primary solver of major economic and social problems[1]. With these being the basic foundations, it would be the “imminent” threat of Communism on the home front in America that would make the conservative movement powerful and longstanding. The substance of the conservative movement would surprisingly rise from a liberal source. The New Deal had provided the country with stability in dire economic times with what seemed like a complete government takeover of traditional small government role. This would be where the Conservative movement would take reign. Following World War II, the American government and it’s citizens grew uneasy about the Soviet Union far more than it ever had before. The liberal administration would enact policies such as the Truman Doctrine that had been monitoring Greece's crumbling economic and political conditions, especially the rise of the Communist-led insurgency known as the National Liberation Front[2]. The new liberals failed to discern the continuity between the anti-Communist politics of Joe McCarthy and anti-Communist politics of the Truman Administration, or to understand how the rhetoric...
Words: 1167 - Pages: 5
...Conservatism is a political view guided by history and aiming to make a society good. The fundamental goal of conservatism is to preserve the political arrangements that have shown to be effective in creating good lives. Conservatism is often misunderstood to be a political belief that wants little change in the society as possible. However, that is not the case. Conservatism accepts changes, but claims that the changes have to occur gradually as the society can easily fall into chaos and disorder. What conservatism use to judge prevailing political arrangements is history. People often say it is important to learn from history in order to plan for the future. Since history is a record of experience, it provides an important guide to good...
Words: 313 - Pages: 2
...The continuous development of industrialization bought about a massive expansion of wealth as well as the spread of slums, poverty, ignorance and disease. The increasing social inequalities in society led liberals to question and revise the ideas of classic liberalism. This was clearly seen in their differing views on freedom, the individuals and most important the economy. Classical liberals have argued that the revised version of liberals has effectively broken the principles of doctrines that defined liberalism. While Modern liberals argue that it did not fully depart from the ideas of capitalism liberalism but merely built on classical liberalism. The central theme of liberal ideology is a commitment to the individual. Classical liberals subscribe to an atomism view of individuals where a ‘society’ does not exist but is merely a collection of self-sufficient and egoistical individuals. Macpherson (1973) characterized early liberalism as ‘possessive individualism’ in that it regarded the individual as ‘the proprietor of his own person or capacities, owing nothing to society for them’. Modern liberals, on the other hand, shifted the emphasis away from individualism to individuality. They had a more optimistic view of human nature and are prepared to believe that egoism is tempered by a sense of social responsibility especially a responsibility for those who are unable to look after themselves. Mill stressed the desire of an individual to achieve personal development...
Words: 961 - Pages: 4
...Critics of conservatism have argued that the ideology only reflects the interests of the privileged, however it is not as simple as that. There can be several reasons why this argument has strong validity; conservatives will point to One Nation conservatism and Christian Democracy as examples of conservatism’s way of pleasing all. First, Conservatives turn to paternalism as a way in which the less privileged in society are helped by conservatism. Paternalism follows the principle of ‘noblesse oblige’, where the better off have a moral duty to help the less well off. For conservatives, freedom is not understood in negative terms. Instead, freedom is a willing acceptance of social obligations, therefore is considered to be the duty of conservatism. This thought was first put forward by Benjamin Disraeli and led to the establishment of the Second Reform Act, which gave the working class the right to vote. ‘Tory Democracy’, a strand of One-Nation conservatism, can also be seen to be reformist as it also aims to implement social reform; therefore this does not just reflect the interests the privileged. Secondly, Christian Democracy is a branch of conservatism that can be seen to support the interests of the less well off. Christian democracy follows the paternalistic social traditions of Catholicism and advocates the social market economy, where the market economy is supported by a welfare system and effective public services. This endorses partnership and cooperation, therefore...
Words: 887 - Pages: 4
...------------------------------------------------- The relationship between Modern Conservatism (UK) and Classic Liberalism In the UK Margret thatcher was the true pioneer of modern conservatism. Thatcher had completely shifted the party to the right. This was known as the new right. The party had adopted many ideas off classic liberalism due to this it was fair to assume that Margret thatcher might have been a classic liberalist. Mainly down to the reason because its central theme is an extreme form of individualism. Both Margret thatcher and classic liberalists believed that humans are egotistical, self-seeking and largely self-reliant creatures. They both believed in negative freedom. Negative freedom to its most basic form means an individual is only free when the state leaves them alone to do whatever they wish. Thatcher said there is “no such thing as society.” She argued that individuals had to take responsibility for their own lives. She thought it was pointless to blame society for ones problems. She famously said that “it is our duty to look after ourselves and then also to help look after our neighbours”. The point thatcher was trying to get across was people would have less incentive to provide for families and communities if the government took on the responsibility. Instead government shouldn’t interfere but let natural self-reliance and charity to flourish. Classic liberalists differ from this they exaggerate extreme liberty as thy believe individuals don’t...
Words: 758 - Pages: 4
...Tom Chapman A2 Political Theory DATE \@ "d MMMM y" 20 September 2015 A Fear of Democracy Runs Through Liberalism A2 Political Theory A fear of Democracy runs through Liberalism. Do Liberal individuals fear the hand of the state and the will of the people? Are Liberals fearful of what the ruling majority may impose on them or are they perfectly happy bending the knee to the authority of the state and the decisions of the masses, if only to preserve their own civil liberties and rights? To assess if this is the case or not we must first understand a rather complicated question; what is Liberalism? Liberalism can be traced back to the decline of Feudalism in the 18th Century and the revolutions of both France (1789) and the USA (1765) where we saw two states try to shake off the ruling class and enter a new era of enlightenment where there was, generally, consensus ruling. Liberalism then comes to the fore front of Political thinking around the period of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and Europe in the 19th Century which led to many people rising through the ranks and creating a form of social mobility linked with Liberal ideas of self rule and governance. It’s this Industrial Revolution period where we see Liberalism take it’s first form - what we now call classical Liberalism. Classical Liberals believe in the idea of negative freedoms where by each person is able to both thrive and fail in society, this goes hand in hand with the idea of maintaining state intervention...
Words: 1270 - Pages: 6
...Conservatism, like many other political ideologies has many factions within it. Traditional conservatism, especially paternalistic conservatism very much favours a pragmatic approach. This is the belief that behaviour should be shaped in accordance with practical circumstances and goals rather than principles, beliefs or ideological objectives. However with the introduction of the liberal new right conservatism due to the conservative view of economic and social breakdown, things have started to look a lot more ideological and challenged the pragmatic nature of conservatism. This is where the debate arises. Traditional conservatives undoubtedly favour a pragmatic approach rather than stick to the core ideologies of conservatism. Burke famously said ‘a state which doesn’t change cannot conserve’ which perfectly explains the traditional conservative favouritism towards pragmatism. If a government does not change in order to help all aspects of society and bring in some kind of social reforms there will be revolt by the poor of the country. Conservatives hold this belief due to the belief that humans are naturally imperfect and therefore limited intellectually. Society is too complicated for human’s to fully understand and can therefore never fully understand the political system. Traditional conservatives are therefore suspicious of abstract ideas and systems of thought that claim to understand how society and the world should be run as it is out of grasp for an individual to...
Words: 958 - Pages: 4
...‘Conservatism merely reflects the interests of the privileged and prosperous.’ Discuss (45) This statement is asking whether all forms of conservatism’s values and actions in the past are because they wish to reflect the interests of those in society who are better off, sacrificing the interests of the less well off in doing so. The current debate is very unclear as opinion on this does, and always has varied greatly. Generally, left-wing labour supporters believe this statement is true whereas the rest of society do not agree. Conservatives have strenuously denied this claim over the years. This essay will argue that Conservatism does in fact merely reflect the interests of the privileged and prosperous, despite this claim being strongly denied by current and past conservatives. On one hand, Conservatism does not merely reflect the interests of the privileged and prosperous, as they believe that tradition and authority benefits everyone, as it provides security and stability in society. Authority, which is the right to exercise power over others, is seen by conservatives as a guarantee of social order because it provides security and stability. People know ‘where they stand’ and what their roles are in society. There are those that are ‘leaders’ and those that are ‘followers’. This is reflected in Edmund Burke’s belief in a ‘natural aristocracy’, which is the belief in an aristocracy, which arises out of work and competition rather than birth, education, or special privilege...
Words: 1865 - Pages: 8
