The original strand. Key thinkers Hobbes, Burke and Oakeshott. Pessimistic on human nature, organic on society, pragmatic on the economy and devoted to order and tradition - but it stops at order and stability rather than a programme of care.
Traditional conservatism takes the pessimistic view: humans are imperfect and the world is too complicated for them to grasp (Oakeshott). Without a strong state, life would be 'nasty, brutish and short' (Hobbes). Humans crave familiarity, security and a settled place.
The state is essential and even a bad state beats no state at all (Hobbes); it is an organic body passed on intact (Burke) and may be coercive when it must be. But Traditional conservatism goes beyond law and order only for stability, not for a paternal programme - which is where it scores partial rather than full.
Society is an organic, living body where every part is connected. Hierarchy is natural and gives people a sense of duty and a settled place (Oakeshott). The individual cannot be separated from the whole (Burke).
Traditional conservatism supports capitalism and private property pragmatically rather than as a principle. Property ownership creates responsibility and binds people to society (Burke), and some intervention or welfare is acceptable when stability requires it.
Tradition is the tested wisdom of the past, and Burke's rule is change in order to conserve. Oakeshott distrusts abstract ideologies that claim to understand what is too complicated to grasp, so change is gradual and rooted in experience.
Traditional conservatism shares the imperfection view but turns it only into order and stability, not a duty of care. The notes mark this as the point of difference from One Nation: Traditional conservatism stops where One Nation turns imperfection into a positive programme of paternalism.
The paternalist strand, named for Disraeli's warning that without action society fractures into 'two nations' of rich and poor. Same imperfection and organic views as Traditional, but it turns flaw and dependence into a duty of care - noblesse oblige.
One Nation holds the same imperfection view as Traditional conservatism: humans are weak, vulnerable and imperfect. The difference is what follows - because humans are flawed and dependent, the better-off have a duty to look after the worse-off.
The state is a kind benefactor (Disraeli) that uses its power to help the vulnerable, preventing the division that could lead to revolution. Burke would add that the state must avoid extremes that lead to tyranny. This is the fullest active role of any strand.
Society is organic, like Traditional conservatism - but with a duty of care running down the hierarchy. Noblesse oblige: those at the top owe protection to those below.
One Nation backs pragmatic capitalism: welfare is acceptable, taxation can rise, and intervention is permitted when hardship threatens unrest (Oakeshott on pragmatism over doctrine). The economy serves society.
One Nation rests on the same tradition and pragmatism as Traditional conservatism - Burke and Oakeshott supply the organic and pragmatic groundwork, so change in order to conserve still applies.
Paternalism is the defining feature of One Nation: the state as kind benefactor and those at the top owing protection to those below - noblesse oblige (Disraeli). The notes say paternalism belongs to One Nation above all.
The 1970s break with the older strands, made of two elements: neo-liberal (Nozick, Rand) and neo-conservative. Rational and atomistic where the neo-liberal element leads, but its neo-con element revives moral pessimism through Hobbes - so several themes split inside it.
The New Right is split. The neo-liberal element sees human nature as rational, atomistic and self-reliant - the individual knows best (Nozick, Rand) and self-interest is a virtue (Rand). The neo-conservative element returns to moral pessimism through Hobbes - left to themselves, people behave selfishly. The 2024 examiner report's red line: imperfection does not belong to the New Right as a whole.
The clearest internal tension. Neo-liberals want the state rolled back to Nozick's minimal night-watchman state; neo-conservatives want it rolled forward on morals and security. The 2022 mark scheme treats this as the clearest sign of ambiguity in conservative attitudes towards the state - even the New Right is divided within itself.
The New Right rejects organic society. Its view is atomistic - a collection of self-reliant individuals with merit replacing hierarchy (Rand). The 2024 examiner report's red line: organicism does not belong to the New Right.
The New Right backs the free market as a principle, not pragmatically - low taxes, no welfare, privatisation, no restrictions on capitalism or private property (Nozick). The 2023 mocks mark scheme calls it an ideological versus pragmatic commitment to capitalism, and pragmatism does not belong to the New Right (2024 examiner report).
The New Right is radical, not bound by the past - the ideological contrast to the pragmatism and tradition of the older strands. The notes mark imperfection, organicism and pragmatism as never belonging to the New Right; tradition as the guide goes with them.
The New Right rejects paternalism. Nozick's minimal state offers no entitlement of citizen from state and people must be self-supporting; Rand opposed all state help to the vulnerable and called state activity corrosive.