Conservatism · Notes

Conservatism starts from a pessimistic view of human nature and a protective view of what already exists. Humans are flawed, so grand schemes to remake society are dangerous; the safest guide is tradition. Burke's rule states the method: change in order to conserve.

What every conservative strand agrees on

• Law and order. All conservatives stress the need for law and order above all else for society to function (Hobbes). The state is the highest sovereign body in society; conservatives fear anarchy and breakdown.
• Capitalism and private property. All three strands support private property because they support individuals as creators of wealth. No conservative strand is socialist.
• Imperfect human nature - with one important exception. Most conservatives take the view that human nature is limited and imperfect; the neo-liberal wing of the New Right is the exception.

The original strand. Key thinkers: Hobbes, Burke, Oakeshott.

• Human nature: imperfect - intellectually, morally and psychologically flawed (Oakeshott). Without a strong state, life would be 'nasty, brutish and short' (Hobbes). Humans crave familiarity, security and the comfort of knowing their place.
• The state: essential. Even a bad state is better than no state at all (Hobbes). The state is an organic body, fragile, guarded and passed on intact between generations (Burke). Law and order is the first priority; the state may be coercive when it must be.
• Society: organic - a living body where every part is connected. Hierarchy is natural and gives people a sense of duty and a settled place (Oakeshott). Traditions must be respected.
• The economy: capitalism and private property, supported pragmatically rather than as a principle. Property ownership creates responsibility and binds people to society (Burke). Some intervention or welfare is acceptable when stability requires it.

The paternalist strand, named for Disraeli's warning that without action society fractures into 'two nations' of rich and poor. Burke and Oakeshott supply the organic and pragmatic groundwork.

• Human nature: the same imperfection view as Traditional - 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: paternalist - a kind benefactor (Disraeli). It 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.
• Society: organic, like Traditional - but with a duty of care running down the hierarchy. Noblesse oblige: those at the top owe protection to those below.
• The economy: 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.

The 1970s break with the older strands. Treat the framing carefully: the 2024 examiner report flags that neo-liberalism is not an independent strand divorced from the New Right - it is one of the two elements within the New Right, alongside neo-conservatism.

The neo-liberal element

• Human nature: rational, atomistic, self-reliant. The individual knows best (Nozick, Rand). Self-interest is a virtue (Rand).
• The state: roll it back. Nozick's minimal night-watchman state does almost nothing beyond defence, courts and contract enforcement; no entitlement of citizen from state; people must be self-supporting. Rand called state activity corrosive.
• Society: atomistic - a collection of self-reliant individuals, with merit replacing hierarchy.
• The economy: free market as a principle - low taxes, no welfare, privatisation, no restrictions on capitalism or private property.

The neo-conservative element

• Human nature: a return to moral pessimism - left to themselves, people behave selfishly, so they need moral authority. The reasoning travels through Hobbes; there is no separate named spec thinker.
• The state: roll it forward on morals and security - tough on crime, strong national identity, traditional values enforced.
• Society: a moral community to be defended, in contrast with neo-liberal atomism.
• The economy: in line with the neo-liberal element; the economy is not the main neo-conservative concern.

Human nature

Agreement: Traditional and One Nation conservatives see humans as weak, vulnerable and imperfect, needing guidance to make the right decisions (Hobbes, Oakeshott). Disagreement: neo-liberalism within the New Right stresses atomistic individualism - the individual knows best (Nozick, Rand). The 2023 mocks mark scheme: 'a debate within conservatism over whether human nature is imperfect or atomistic'.

The state

Agreement: all conservatives see the state as essential for law and order - the highest sovereign body in society. Disagreement: beyond law and order the role of the state is contested. Traditional backs a coercive state for stability (Hobbes); One Nation wants a paternalist benefactor (Disraeli); the New Right wants a minimal state on the economy (Rand, Nozick) and a stronger one on morals - divided even within itself.

Society

Agreement: all conservatives see society as essential for human development (2019 mark scheme). Disagreement: organic whole with natural hierarchy and duty (Burke, Oakeshott) against an atomistic collection of self-reliant individuals rising and falling on merit (Rand). Both accept an unequal society - one based on a settled hierarchy, the other on individual merit.

The economy

Agreement: all three strands support capitalism and private property - individuals as creators of wealth. Disagreement: the basis. Traditional and One Nation back capitalism pragmatically, prepared to support welfare when necessary; the New Right is ideologically committed to a free market and rejects restrictions on capitalism or private property (Nozick). The 2023 mocks mark scheme calls it 'an ideological v pragmatic commitment to capitalism'.

• Marks: 24, split AO1 8 / AO2 8 / AO3 8.
• 'To what extent' is a question of degree - judge how much, not yes or no. Weigh whether agreement or disagreement is more significant.
• Structure by theme, not by strand. Never write one paragraph per strand in sequence - the 2024 examiner report says side-by-side description with a transition sentence scores badly. Weave the strands together inside each theme.
• Lead with strands; thinkers in support. 'The key thinkers are there to add value and meaning to the strands - not the other way round' (2024 examiner report).
• Cover all three strands. Leaving one out is a structural error on whole-ideology questions.
• Two named spec thinkers minimum. No spec thinkers, or only one side argued, caps the answer at Level 2.
• Judge as you go. Evaluation is the weakest area on Ideas questions; interim judgements through the essay score better than a one-line summary at the end.
• Strands and thinkers only. Real-world politics is brief illustration at most - parties and current events belong in the UK Politics questions, not the ideology essay.