Conservatism Core Values
- Created by: Grace Lidgett
- Created on: 28-12-12 19:42
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- Conservative core values
- Tradition
- Argue against change as tradition reflects religion
- Tradition has wisdom from the past and has been tested by time and should therefore be preserved
- "Change in order to conserve" - Edmund Burke
- Example = particular importance put on the monarchy
- Human imperfection
- Human nature is flawed, pessimistic view of security-seeking, dependant and morally corruptible beings
- Opposes view of human nature from liberals and socialists
- Agrees with the view of Thomas Hobbes = prepared to sacrifice liberty in the cause of social order
- "The life of man, solitary, brutish and short" - Thomas Hobbes
- Organic Society
- Due to the dependency of humans, we need to belong and be 'rooted' in society
- Organic society in the uk is embodied in paternalism
- Professor Noel O'sullivan argued that conception of organic unity has gradually given way to a more pragmatic vision
- Hierarchy and authority
- Society is naturally hierarcial and social equality is therefore rejected as both undesirable and unachievable
- Their belief in hierarchy strengthened emphasis on aunthority
- Society is naturally hierarcial and social equality is therefore rejected as both undesirable and unachievable
- Such authority can only be imposed 'from above' and authority provides guidance, simplifies decisions, reduced complexities and promotes social order
- Property
- Conservatives attach paricular importance to private property as those who work hard will, and should, acquire wealth
- Not only an issue for the individual but an issue for the state too
- Harold Macmillan objected Thatchers privatisation, describing it as "selling off the family silver"
- Pragmatic
- Conservatives above all are the pragmatists although of their doctrine of 'no change'
- Rejects strongly held ideology as political action should never end in conflict
- Tradition
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