...Discuss Nationalism is a political ideology based on the principle that a group of people bound by common values (a nation), have the right to form a state. Because it is a doctrine as opposed to an ideology, nationalism is compatible with various opposing political beliefs. This means that there are many forms of nationalism based on both how to define a nation, and the ideas of different political ideologies. In this essay I will discuss whether each of these are inherently aggressive and expansionist. Firstly, a nation can be defined by ethnicity and culture. This is the belief behind ethno-cultural nationalism. Ethno-cultural nationalism gives a very crude and simplistic definition of a nation, as it is based on eugenic characteristics and culture. This makes it exclusive, intolerant and backward-looking. An example of an ethno-cultural nation is the Tutsi and Hutu tribes in Rwanda, which are both defined by ethnicity. Although ethno-cultural nationalism can cause conflict due to its highly exclusive nature, I do not think that it is inherently aggressive. Nor is it expansionist. Civic nationalism is often described as the opposite of ethno -cultural nationalism. It is far more inclusive, tolerant and forward -looking. People can easily become part of a nation by taking a test or simply following the practices of the nation. Civic nationalism is also known as 'state centred' nationalism as it often attempts to unite the nation behind the state's political or economic aims. The...
Words: 687 - Pages: 3
...extent do conservatives believe in tradition and continuity? * Tradition refers to ideas, practices or institutions that have endured over time and been inherited from earlier periods. Its very nature creates continuity between the past, present and future. The very name ‘conservatism’ suggests that followers of the ideology believe in the maintenance of tradition and the preservation of continuity. * There are certainly numerous examples in which it is evident that conservatives believe in tradition and continuity; its very development was based on preserving the pre-Puritan traditions. * Despite it being a fundamental part of the ideology, however, history dictates that conservatives have on numerous occasions abandoned such belief in favour of realistic pragmatism, * Such as Disraeli’s identification of the Two Nations and the Conservative government of 1950, following the establishment of the National Health Service in 1946, chose to maintain this popular institution regardless of conservatives originally favouring the traditional method of private healthcare. * It can even be argued that such pragmatism has created a modern Conservative party that bares little, if no resemblance of, conservative ideology; whereas tradition conservatives stressed on tradition, the New Right and modern conservatism has rejected this notion. * The belief in tradition and continuity was given great importance by traditional conservatives. The original conservative thinkers...
Words: 959 - Pages: 4
...altered conservative ideology.’ Discuss. Before Margaret Thatcher, there was classical conservatism which had its roots in very traditional ideas such as the status quo, for example. This meant that conservatives would largely stick to what they were familiar with, and would only change their principals if it was absolutely necessary. Property was also a fundamental idea for classical conservatives. They believed that an Englishman’s home is his castle, and that everyone’s main goal in life should be to own property and to be able to protect it. The idea of ‘one nationism’ is also majorly important to classical conservatives. This was the idea that the nation should all be as one, with a paternalist view on the gap between the rich and the poor (the rich should give aid to the poor). This idea was founded by Disraeli in the 19th century. Another important value to classical conservatives is the idea of individualism. This meant that they believed that it was not the government’s job to look after people and that it is up to the individual to make the most of themselves without the government’s help. Pragmatism is the belief that behaviour should be shaped in accordance with practical circumstances and goals rather than principles, beliefs or ideological objectives. Traditional conservatives have undoubtedly favoured pragmatism over ideology. The basis for this position is the belief that human beings are intellectually limited, and therefore, traditional conservatives prefer...
Words: 1084 - Pages: 5
...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 those at the upper levels of the hierarchy are expected to take responsibility...
Words: 4496 - Pages: 18
...Tradition is based on practices, ideas and institutions that have passed through time and has been produced from its earliest of origins. Conservatives stress the importance of tradition as it allows continuity between different time frames, traditional conservatives are against change so tradition creates a bases of society staying the same for examples, in terms of being hierarchical. The terms of tradition has caused conflict within conservatism as the New Right – the neoliberals and neoconservatives, have avoided placing any importance of tradition and continuity needed in society thus showing tradition and continuity is less followed by conservatives now. Traditional conservatives support and defend the idea of tradition and continuity on many different grounds. For example, tradition provides a basis of religious faith that is shaped by God who is the creator of the Earth. This therefore means that traditional institutions provide natural law – tradition is seen as having accumulated wisdom from the past, these institutions and practices has been able to be “tested by time” and therefore they should be preserved for the benefit of those living now and for future generations. This means that society is based on a relationship between those who are living, those who are dead and those who are to be born – the dead always has the upper hand over society as they are the “democracy of the dead” – providing a structure for the present society to follow. Tradition and continuity...
Words: 1149 - Pages: 5
...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
...behavior or form of policy, as opposed to an ideological principle. Conservatives traditionally favour pragmatism because it emphasizes the impact of applied ideas that have been tested over time- highlighting the importance of tradition (one major traditional conservative value. One-nation conservatives agree with the foundations of pragmatic ideas. Whereas the New Right was heavily ideological- arguably, the application of Neo-liberal ideas with an emphasis on free-market economics (i.e.: heavy privatization in the Thatcher period) shows a radical change into applying newer principles. Traditional conservatives place a higher emphasis on pragmatic ideas- as these ideas have been tested over time (a conservative would argue that they work; they are product of years of continuity) thus humans are incapable and essentially limited in radically making theories themselves. Their ideas may be based upon the idea of tradition; which aligns itself with the Darwinian belief that only the fittest policies have survived over the years- and have created what Chesterton called the ‘democracy of the dead’ which is much more reputable than todays ‘arrogant oligarchy’. Pragmatic ideas are preferred because they have continuously growing over centuries whereas principle would ensure instability- for example: the sudden abolition of the monarchy would heavily affect the public; because it’s nationally loved- therefore extreme principles of ideologies like communism would definitely cause imbalance...
Words: 271 - Pages: 2
...Conservatives support Pragmatism over principle’ Discuss. Pragmatism essentially believes in a more practical behavior or form of policy, as opposed to an ideological principle. Conservatives traditionally favour pragmatism because it emphasizes the impact of applied ideas that have been tested over time- highlighting the importance of tradition (one major traditional conservative value. One-nation conservatives agree with the foundations of pragmatic ideas. Whereas the New Right was heavily ideological- arguably, the application of Neo-liberal ideas with an emphasis on free-market economics (i.e.: heavy privatization in the Thatcher period) shows a radical change into applying newer principles. Traditional conservatives place a higher emphasis on pragmatic ideas- as these ideas have been tested over time (a conservative would argue that they work; they are product of years of continuity) thus humans are incapable and essentially limited in radically making theories themselves. Their ideas may be based upon the idea of tradition; which aligns itself with the Darwinian belief that only the fittest policies have survived over the years- and have created what Chesterton called the ‘democracy of the dead’ which is much more reputable than todays ‘arrogant oligarchy’. Pragmatic ideas are preferred because they have continuously growing over centuries whereas principle would ensure instability- for example: the sudden abolition of the monarchy would heavily affect the public;...
Words: 279 - Pages: 2
...independence to Rwanda. Election system allowed a Hutu to become a president. Tutsis tried to overthrow the government, but failed and almost all Tutsis fled from the country. Hutus killed almost 12,000 Tutsis in the process. The president signed a cease fire and in 1990, he promised to make many changes to Rwanda to try and allow Hutus and Tutsis to live together in peace. However, Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana was killed when his airplane was shot down by unknown group. Angry Hutu extremists started to massacre Tutsis in Rwanda. Almost 927,000 Tutsis were killed in 100 days. UN and all other countries in the world did nothing. 2. Q: It is impossible to objectively define nation. Why? Because in the objective definition of nation, nation is group people who speak the same language, have same religion, share the same history. But what about the countries like Swiss that have multiple language? So it cannot be defined objectively because of this conflict. 3. Q: What is cultural...
Words: 2696 - Pages: 11
...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. Conservatives believe that tradition can lead to rootedness and security because traditional concepts and institutions are familiar and reassuring, made all the stronger as it is rooted in an historical context. Because humans are emotionally imperfect, change leads to instability...
Words: 1865 - Pages: 8
...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
...Pragmatism is the belief that behaviour should be shaped in accordance with practical circumstances and goals rather than principles, beliefs or ideological objectives. Traditional conservatives have undoubtedly favoured pragmatism over principle. The basis for this position is the belief that human beings are intellectually limited. The world is simply too complicated for human reason to fully grasp, hence the belief that the political world is ‘boundless and bottomless’. Traditional conservatives are therefore suspicious of abstract ideas and systems of thought that claim to understand what is simply incomprehensible. They prefer to ground their ideas in tradition, experience and history, adopting a cautious, moderate and above all pragmatic approach to the world, and avoiding, if at all possible, doctrinaire or dogmatic beliefs. Principles such as ‘rights of man’, ‘equality’ and ‘social justice’ are fraught with danger because they provide a blueprint for the reform or remodelling of the world, and all such blueprints are unreliable. Pragmatism thus ensures that ‘the cure is not worse than the disease’. This emphasis on pragmatism can be illustrated by the development of the One Nation tradition. As deepening social inequality contains the seeds of revolution, conservatives came to recognise that prudent social reform was the best protection against the danger of popular insurrection. A pragmatic concern to alleviate poverty is therefore in the interests of the rich and...
Words: 353 - Pages: 2
...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 understand. They prefer to ground their ideas in tradition and therefore giving a more pragmatic approach to the world, and avoiding vast changes within society, for example revolt. Principles such as rights of man, equality and social justice are...
Words: 958 - Pages: 4
...How far has the coalition government forced the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to revise their traditional ideological stances? The UK's government is currently a coalition, this means that there were two or more 'winning' parties at the 2010 general election. The Conservatives are head of the government and the Liberal Democrats are deputy. By having a coalition government the two parties have to change their ideologies and come up with ideas that fit them both. Evidence shows that the coalition government hasn't forced the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to revise their traditional ideological stances, this means that they haven't changed their traditional values so they can run government together. An ideology is an 'ism', a more or less coherent set of ideas, values and theories that help to explain the world and guide political action. The conservatism is the set of ideologies that the Conservatives believe in. Conservatism is an ideology that is defined by a 'desire to conserve'. It has traditionally been suspicious of abstract principles or developed theories, preferring instead to place its faith in tradition, experience and history. The defining values of Conservatism are; tradition, this means that they respect ideas, practices and institutions that have been passed down from one generation to the next. They also believe in human imperfection, the belief that people are security-seeking creatures and also morally flawed. Finally they believe in hierarchy...
Words: 1381 - Pages: 6
...associated with the motives and values of Islamic extremist’s terrorism ideologies such as liberalism have responded in such a way that has had influence in response to these events. This inquiry is intended to answer the above statement through analysing the fundamental ideas and beliefs associated with liberalism as well as evaluating its effect abroad and domestically here in Australia. The response to global terror as a result of Islamic extremists differs significantly from ideology to ideology. Liberalism combats terrorism by standing together through a global counter terrorism strategy, whilst other ideologies oppose this response and choose to go to war. Liberalism is a distinct political philosophy in which places its fundamental principles on the prosperity of an individual through liberty and equality. Liberalism expresses these principals by protecting and promoting the equitable rights and freedoms of society. Liberal governments and organisations place emphasise on aspects of society in which promotes equity and opposes oppression such as freedom of speech freedom of the press freedom of the individual and gender equality. Dr. Kenneth Minogue (2007). This source comes from a professor of political science the credibility of the author ensures reliability and accuracy. Within liberalism, individuals are placed at the center of society. The 17th century philosopher John Locke founded Liberalism as a political ideology. Locke believed that each man is entitled to individual...
Words: 1065 - Pages: 5
