Conservatism - Summary, Tensions & Today

	Human Nature:	The State:	Society:	The Economy
Thomas Hobbes:	Cynical individuals are selfish, driven by restlessness and ruthlessness desire for supremacy and security	The state should arise contractually from individuals who seek order and security. To serve its purpose the state must be autocratic and awesome.	There can be no society until the creation of the state that brings order and authority to human affairs. Life is ‘nasty, brutish and short.’	Constructive and enduring economic activity is impossible without a state guaranteeing order and security.
Edmund Burke:	Sceptical, ‘the crooked timber of humanity’ is marked by a gap between aspiration and achievement. May conceive perfection but unable to achieve it.	Should arise organically and should be aristocratic, driving by the hereditary elite reared to rule in the interest of all	Organic and multi-facetted compromising a host of small communities – ‘little platoons’	Trade should involve organic free markets and laissez-faire capitalism.
Michael Oakeshott:	Modest. Humanity is at its best when free from grand designs and when focused on the routines of the everyday elite	Should be guided by traditions and practical concerns pragmatism not dogmatism. Should be its watchword/	Localised commentaries are essential to humanities survival especially when guided by short term interests rather than abstract ideas	Free markets are volatile and unpredictable and may require pragmatic moderation by the state.
Ayn Rand:	Objectivistic, we are and ought to be guided by rational self-interest and the pursuit of self-fulfilment.	State should confine itself to law, order and national security. Postrave liberty through state intervention should be resisted	Atomistic. Any attempt to restrict individuals in the name of society should be changed	Free market capitalism is an expression of objectivism. Individualistic and should not be hindered by the state.
Robert Nozick:	Egotistical individuals are driven by a quest for self-ownership allowing them to realise their full potential.	Miniarchist state should merely outsource, renew and reallocate contracts to private companies providing public services	Geared to the individual’s self-fulfilment. Leads to small communities reflecting them members diverse tastes and philosophies.	Miniarchist state should detach itself from a privatised and deregulated economy merely arbitrating disputes between private economic organisation.

Tensions:

• Human Nature: Traditional conservatives e.g. Burke take a sceptical view of human nature drawing the gap between aspiration and achievement whilst warning against the grand, utopian schemes of progressive politics. The French and American revolutions have misread human potential. The New Right take a more optimistic approach by what humans may achieve. Pro-capitalist economy environment where individuals’ energies are unleashed.
• Society: Traditional conservatives see society as little platoons overseen by a hierarchical structure in which the elite govern over the majority where society should emerge organically. New Right are ambivalent about society and its existence drawing upon the libertarian belief that society is a collection of atomised individuals seeking self-determination. New Right want a society that is defined by those who have achieved rather than inherited power and status. A society that is meritocratic rather than aristocratic.
• The State: Traditional conservatives defend a state in which political power is wielded by those who are born to rule. The state should have a natural ruling class reared to the principals of duty and sacrifice. New Right wish to ‘roll back the frontiers of the state’ so they can advance freedom and reverse the dependency culture. They fear the ruling classes have too much power and are reluctant to admit the need for radical change.
• The Economy: Traditional conservatives are keen to defend an economy based on private ownership but sceptical about free market capitalism as it may threaten the one nation and fuel support for socialism. A more cosmopolitan society could erode national identity and national culture. More state intervention through Keynesian economic, higher tax and high public spending on state welfare. New Right advocate free market economies where state functions are privatised and regulate, and levels of tax are reduced.

Conservatism Today:

• As the economy becomes volatile, the appeal for more traditional conservative stance is higher than ever.
• An illustration of this has been seen in the shift of focus into the states responsibilities. Growth of terrorism and problems with mass migration has prompted a change to order, safety and security where the state is more authoritative. Hobbes may be proud of this.
• There isn’t a huge renewed interest in socialism and their reluctance for state intervention may be sparking the end for hard-socialism and more neo-liberal matters.
• David Cameron tried to adapt little platoons into big society where there a big society but a small state.
• Indeed the most conservative movement in the UK has been the move out of Europe as it yearns for a greater sense of national identity and form a government that is national, not continental. There may even be a similar pattern of change in Europe and the USA.
• Not all Conservatives wanted to leave the EU though.
• Many Conservatives have argued for a new brand of politics dubbed ‘blue labour’ linking left-wing themes like equality and social justice to conservative themes like ‘family, faith and flag’. Donald Trump may spark the creation of this as he wishes to protect the US economy by curbing the free markets, with a desire for national interest rather than global capitalism.
• Conservatism is persistent and adaptable, rooted in importance of custom, habit, community and kinship. Change may be constant and inevitable yet the desire to change is one that should be respected.
• Tradition and identity will always be present and shows no signs of decaying. Maybe the lesson of the UKs 2016 referendum on the EU was that a Conservative PM was punished for not being conservative in an increasingly conservative era.