Core ideas and debates
Each area is a debate. Open it for the question, where the traditions agree, and where they divide. This is the raw material of every essay.
Human Nature›
The debate: Are humans flawed and dependent, or rational and self-reliant?
Where they agree
All conservative strands accept that some authority is needed to restrain or coordinate people. None of them is anarchist. All accept private property as a basic feature of the human condition. All believe individuals function best inside structures of some kind - whether the strong state of Traditional, the paternalist state of One Nation, the moral state of neo-conservatism, or the night-watchman state of neo-liberalism.
Where they differ
The divide on human nature runs between strands that see humans as flawed and dependent (Traditional, One Nation, and neo-conservatives on moral questions) and the neo-liberal wing of the New Right which sees humans as rational, self-aware and self-reliant. This is the source of all the later disagreements on the state, the economy and society. Neo-liberalism rejects the imperfection view that the older strands rest on; neo-conservatism keeps it, but only on moral matters. The 2024 ER warns against treating the whole New Right as believing in human imperfection.
The State›
The debate: How big should the state be, and what is it for?
Where they agree
All conservative strands agree the state must enforce law and order: this is the consistent thread the 2023 mocks mark scheme identifies. All reject anarchy and accept the state is the highest sovereign body in society. All want the state to defend property rights. The disagreement is about whether the state should do anything beyond that core.
Where they differ
Traditional wants a strong state for law and order, keeping inherited institutions in place. One Nation wants a paternalist state that helps the vulnerable to prevent revolution. Neo-liberalism wants a small night-watchman state (Nozick): defence, courts, contract enforcement, nothing more. Neo-conservatism wants a strong state on morals and security, tough on crime and immigration. The New Right whole brings neo-lib economics together with neo-con morals, giving Thatcherism's "freer economy, stronger state on moral discipline."
The Economy›
The debate: Is capitalism backed pragmatically or as a principle?
Where they agree
All conservative strands support capitalism and private property as the right way to run an economy. All see private property as creating responsibility and giving individuals a stake in society. None of them are socialist or interventionist as a default. The 2023 mocks mark scheme makes this an explicit area of agreement.
Where they differ
The split is between a pragmatic and an ideological commitment to capitalism. Traditional and One Nation conservatives accept state intervention, welfare and even nationalisation when stability requires it. Neo-liberalism rejects intervention on principle: free markets, minimal state, low taxes, privatisation. Neo-conservatism accepts neo-liberal economics largely because it does not see economics as its primary concern. The 2023 mocks mark scheme identifies this pragmatic-versus-ideological split as one of the clearest internal divisions in conservatism.
Society›
The debate: Is society an organic whole, or a collection of individuals?
Where they agree
All conservative strands agree some shared structure or values are needed: even the neo-liberal accepts contracts, property and rule of law as common ground. None defend pure rootless individualism with zero shared institutions. All accept inherited institutions of some kind - whether the organic society of the older strands, or the family and national identity of the neo-conservatives, or the property and contract framework of the neo-liberals.
Where they differ
Traditional and One Nation see society as an organic body with natural hierarchy, where individuals draw their identity and duties from the whole (Burke, Oakeshott). Neo-liberalism sees society as a collection of atomistic individuals with no hierarchy of duty (Rand): people rise on merit, not place. Neo-conservatism re-asserts a meaningful society but as a moral community rather than an organic hierarchy: national identity, family, tradition. The 2024 mark scheme identifies the organic-versus-atomistic split as a fundamental disagreement.