Conservatism PDF

CONSERVATISM  CONSERVATISM 1. WHAT IS CONSERVATISM? 2. CONSERVATISM - ROOTS 3. CONSERVATISM - IDEAS ‒ Human Nature ‒ Role of the State ‒ Freedom ‒ Conception of Property ‒ Equality ‒ Role of the Individual...

CONSERVATISM  CONSERVATISM 1. WHAT IS CONSERVATISM? 2. CONSERVATISM - ROOTS 3. CONSERVATISM - IDEAS ‒ Human Nature ‒ Role of the State ‒ Freedom ‒ Conception of Property ‒ Equality ‒ Role of the Individual * Libertarianism  CONSERVATISM WHAT IS CONSERVATISM? to conserve = save, preserve A conservative = someone who wants to preserve society &/or is skeptical or cautious about change. A response to challenges in modernity “living tradition”  CONSERVATISM WHAT IS CONSERVATISM? (CONT’D) Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990) – “to prefer the familiar to the unknown … the tried to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible, the limited to the unbounded … the convenient to the perfect, present laughter to utopian bliss” – Not hostility to change - caution about large-scale social change – More a disposition than an ideology  CONSERVATISM - ROOTS Edmund Burke (1729-1797) We are not sufficiently wise to remake society – We must rely on past wisdom “Prejudice” (prejudgment) as a useful tool for decision-making when insufficient information is available – Must be open to changing position when more complete information becomes available Opposition to using state power to impose major social change  CONSERVATISM - ROOTS Edmund Burke (1729-1797) - cont’d Compelling reasons are needed before changing the status quo – Reform is likely to have unknown faults, flaws in the status quo are known – “Defend the tolerable” (or even bad) vs. “the immeasurably worse” – Important to know how much evil should be tolerated. – Duty to preserve inherited liberties and privileges “If it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change”  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS HUMAN NATURE Imperfect and imperfectible Limited rationality / capacity to understand society’s complexity – Trust in spontaneous order Filters better from worse innovations The result of millions of free rational choices over time ‘cooperating under suitable rules’  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS HUMAN NATURE - cont’d Collective wisdom embedded in established ways – Institutions like family, religion, community, society Suspicion of state power Social hierarchy implies a duty to the less powerful/fortunate  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS FREEDOM Freedom from constraint – Suspicion of state power – Similar to classical liberals – Tension between tradition and the free market Economic liberty, property as foundations for freedom “the conjunction of dreaming and ruling generates tyranny” -Oakeshott  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS EQUALITY Equality before the law - rule of law Acceptance of unequal outcomes/ inequality of result as long as rules are fairly applied  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS ROLE OF THE STATE Limited state Burke: a “partnership across generations”- past, present, future Historically – limited franchise, suspicion of excessive democracy Protection of property, free market 1980s grass roots democratic mechanisms – Referendum – Recall  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS PROPERTY Property as protective of freedom – one of the institutional bulwarks against the state – a source of power, resistance vs excessive state power  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL Limited franchise (historically) Duty to society, less powerful, educated… Preference for community initiatives & supports over government  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS MODERN CONSERVATISM/NEOCONSERVATISM ECONOMIC/FISCAL CONSERVATISM MORAL/ SOCIAL CONSERVATISM Reduce Government Use Government to protect society Size Traditional values & institutions Cost ‒ Family, faith-based initiatives ‒ Reduce taxes Crime control ‒ Deficit reduction Restriction of abortion Interventions Against pornography ‒ Deregulation Against violence in media ‒ Privatization ‒ Reduce welfare/social programs  CONSERVATISM - IDEAS LIBERTARIANISM Limited government Toleration of immoral practices in order to preserve freedom/limit state interventions Promotion of free markets Friedrich Hayek Milton Friedman William F. Buckley/National Review Michael Walker/Fraser Institute