Key Thinkers in Conservatism 0.0 / 5 ? Government & PoliticsConservatismA2/A-levelAQA Created by: powrieannieCreated on: 16-05-16 14:24 Edmund Burke (1729-97) Whig politician Sympathetic towards American Revolution (1776) Critical of French Revolution (1789) Wrote "Reflections on the Revolution in France" (1790) Opposed to French principles of 'liberty, equality, fraternity' Believed wisdom lay in experience, tradition and history Suggested "change in order to conserve" - a.k.a pragmatism Government prevents evil but struggles to promote good Economics of Adam Smith (free-market) due to belief in 'natural law' 1 of 6 Thomas Hobbes (1588-79) Wrote Leviathan (1651) Absolutist government is the only alternative to anarchy and disorder Citizens have an obligation to the state Rationalised authoritarianism Critical of the 'divine right of kings' Used social contract theory (a liberal principle) 2 of 6 Friedrich von Hayek (1899-92) Taught at LSE Won Nobel Prize for Economics (1974) Believed in individualism and market order Critical of Socialism Wrote 'The Road to Serfdom' (1944), 'The Constitution of Liberty' (1960) and 'Law, Legislation and Liberty' (1979) Attacked economic interventionism Supported constitutionalism Impact on the New Right 3 of 6 Robert Nozick (1938-02) Wrote 'Anarchy, State and Utopia' (1974) Developed rights-based libertarianism Property rights should be strictly upheld Implies support for minimal government and minimal taxation Challenges the case for welfare and redistribution 4 of 6 Adam Smith (1723-90) Founder of the 'dismal science' Wrote 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments' (1759) Tried to reconcile human self-interestedness with unregulated social order Also wrote 'The Wealth of Nations' (1776) Emphasised the importance of the division of labour Seen as a cautious laissez-faire economist 5 of 6 Benjamin Disraeli (1804-81) Founder of 'One-nation conservatism' UK Prime Minister in 1868 and again in 1874 Wrote two novels: Sybil (1845) and Coningsby (1844) Emphasis on the principle of social obligation, in contrast to the extreme individualism which was dominant at the time Worried about Britain becoming divided in to 'two nations: the Rich and the Poor' 6 of 6
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