Thomas hobbes (1588-1679) – traditional
The state
Human nature
. The state arises ‘contractually’ from individuals seeking order and security. To serve
. Wrote about this in his ‘leviathan (1651):
its purpose, the states power must be concentrated – if it were dispersed, then the
. Cynical - individuals are selfish, driven by a restless and
conflicts within the state of nature would soon be replicated
ruthless desire for supremacy and security
. The principle reason for the state was the creation of order and security; that
. Humans have an immovable distrust of others and a
without such a state there could be no civil society; and for the state to be effective,
constant fear of violnet death
it would have to be forbidding
. In hobbes’ own words, life in this state of nature (without
. Saftey is simply impossible without authority
a state) would be ‘solitay, poor, nasty, brutish and short’
. Comfortable with a state that is openly hierarchical and elitist – reflecting the
. For hobbes’, such ‘natural chaos’ stemmed from the
unequal society traditional conservatives defend
absence of any formal authority, which could enforce an
The states power must be concentrated
unquestioned code of right and wrong. In its absence,
. If powers were to dispersed, hobbes insisted, it would merely reproduce the
mankind in the state of nature was left to form its own
horrific divisions that had made the state necessary
version of acceptable conduct. Yet because each persons
version of this was likely to be different, uncertainty and
war were inevitable
. Hobbes did not consider mankind irrational, he believed Society
it would eventually recognise the state of nature as being . There can be no society until the creation of a state brings order and authority to
contary to self-interest and agree to a ‘contract’. Under this human affairs. Life until then is ‘nasty, brutish and short’
contract, individuals would render to a ‘sovereigm’ (the . Rejected a ‘natural’ society, rejects that society predates the state. Society is not
state) the right to make laws which restrained everyone possible without law and order
and allow the order and security that were absent in the . Once law and order collapsed, the various trappings of society, such as individual
state of nature. This would eventually lead to a ‘society’ rights and a respect for personal property would quickly disappear – for this reason
where individuals could enjoy some security and progress he sees ‘natural rights’, ‘natural laws’ and ‘natural society’ as a dangerous fantasies
, Thomas hobbes
The economy
. Constructive and enduring economic activity is impossible without a state guaranteeing order and security
. Traditional conservatives generally support capitalism and private enterprise – largely because they can provide
a level of material prosperity, which then cerments society. Yet traditional conservatives also acknowlwdge that
laissez-faire capitalism can damage and destabilise society by exacerbating imnequality. Once again, this connects
to traditional conservatism’s view of human nature. As Anthony Quinton observed, ‘behind the forces of the
market lie the forces of human imperfection’
. Many traditional conservatives would reluctantly agree with Karl Marx that ‘raw’ capitalism is the enemy of
continuity and, indeed, conservation. Unchecked capitalism is an iconoclastic economic system and therefore
troubling to many orthodox conservatives
. Traditional conservatives tend to endorse a more regulated or moderated form of capitalism, similar to that
associated to Harold Macmillan, Conservative PM 1957-63, the best economy is one representing a compromise
between free-market capitalism and socialsit state ownership – what Macmillan termed a ‘middle way’. The
resulting ‘mixed economy’ would supposedly preserve capitalism, while sustaining full employment and rising
levels of public spending on public services – both of which were thought vital to the maintenance of a ‘one
nation’ society
, Edmund burke (1729-97) - traditional
Human nature
The state
. Sceptical – the ‘crooked timber of
. The state should be constitution, but driven by an aristoratic elite, reared to rule in the interets of all
humanity’ is marked by a gap
. Burke was keen on the notion of a ‘natural’ hierarchy or ‘ruling class’ – one that was born and bred to
between aspiration and achievement.
rule the state, while exercising a paternalistic responsibility for society generally
We may conceive of perfection but we
. However, as a whig who generally supported the Enlightenment, burke also stated that aristocratic and
are unable to achieve it
hierarchial governments must be limited by a constitution, of the sort that has been established in
. Burke stressed mankind’s fallibility
England since its Glorious revolution in 1688
and its tendency to fail more than
. Aristocratic rule should further be constrained by the existence of a strong, confident society,
succeed. He therefore denounced the
guaranteed by the myriad of ‘little platoons’
idealistic society that the french
. Change pursued by the state should be slow, cautious and respectful
revolution imagined, claiming it was
. While change was necessary to conserve, change should proceed on the basis of fact and experience
based on a utopian – thus unrealistic
rather than theory and idealism. Burke duly criticised the french revolution for discaring what was
– view on human nature
‘known’ in favour of an entirely new society based on ‘philosophical abstraction’
The economy
. Trade should involve ‘organic’ free markets and laissez-faire capitalism
. (differing from Hobbes)
The state
Human nature
. The state arises ‘contractually’ from individuals seeking order and security. To serve
. Wrote about this in his ‘leviathan (1651):
its purpose, the states power must be concentrated – if it were dispersed, then the
. Cynical - individuals are selfish, driven by a restless and
conflicts within the state of nature would soon be replicated
ruthless desire for supremacy and security
. The principle reason for the state was the creation of order and security; that
. Humans have an immovable distrust of others and a
without such a state there could be no civil society; and for the state to be effective,
constant fear of violnet death
it would have to be forbidding
. In hobbes’ own words, life in this state of nature (without
. Saftey is simply impossible without authority
a state) would be ‘solitay, poor, nasty, brutish and short’
. Comfortable with a state that is openly hierarchical and elitist – reflecting the
. For hobbes’, such ‘natural chaos’ stemmed from the
unequal society traditional conservatives defend
absence of any formal authority, which could enforce an
The states power must be concentrated
unquestioned code of right and wrong. In its absence,
. If powers were to dispersed, hobbes insisted, it would merely reproduce the
mankind in the state of nature was left to form its own
horrific divisions that had made the state necessary
version of acceptable conduct. Yet because each persons
version of this was likely to be different, uncertainty and
war were inevitable
. Hobbes did not consider mankind irrational, he believed Society
it would eventually recognise the state of nature as being . There can be no society until the creation of a state brings order and authority to
contary to self-interest and agree to a ‘contract’. Under this human affairs. Life until then is ‘nasty, brutish and short’
contract, individuals would render to a ‘sovereigm’ (the . Rejected a ‘natural’ society, rejects that society predates the state. Society is not
state) the right to make laws which restrained everyone possible without law and order
and allow the order and security that were absent in the . Once law and order collapsed, the various trappings of society, such as individual
state of nature. This would eventually lead to a ‘society’ rights and a respect for personal property would quickly disappear – for this reason
where individuals could enjoy some security and progress he sees ‘natural rights’, ‘natural laws’ and ‘natural society’ as a dangerous fantasies
, Thomas hobbes
The economy
. Constructive and enduring economic activity is impossible without a state guaranteeing order and security
. Traditional conservatives generally support capitalism and private enterprise – largely because they can provide
a level of material prosperity, which then cerments society. Yet traditional conservatives also acknowlwdge that
laissez-faire capitalism can damage and destabilise society by exacerbating imnequality. Once again, this connects
to traditional conservatism’s view of human nature. As Anthony Quinton observed, ‘behind the forces of the
market lie the forces of human imperfection’
. Many traditional conservatives would reluctantly agree with Karl Marx that ‘raw’ capitalism is the enemy of
continuity and, indeed, conservation. Unchecked capitalism is an iconoclastic economic system and therefore
troubling to many orthodox conservatives
. Traditional conservatives tend to endorse a more regulated or moderated form of capitalism, similar to that
associated to Harold Macmillan, Conservative PM 1957-63, the best economy is one representing a compromise
between free-market capitalism and socialsit state ownership – what Macmillan termed a ‘middle way’. The
resulting ‘mixed economy’ would supposedly preserve capitalism, while sustaining full employment and rising
levels of public spending on public services – both of which were thought vital to the maintenance of a ‘one
nation’ society
, Edmund burke (1729-97) - traditional
Human nature
The state
. Sceptical – the ‘crooked timber of
. The state should be constitution, but driven by an aristoratic elite, reared to rule in the interets of all
humanity’ is marked by a gap
. Burke was keen on the notion of a ‘natural’ hierarchy or ‘ruling class’ – one that was born and bred to
between aspiration and achievement.
rule the state, while exercising a paternalistic responsibility for society generally
We may conceive of perfection but we
. However, as a whig who generally supported the Enlightenment, burke also stated that aristocratic and
are unable to achieve it
hierarchial governments must be limited by a constitution, of the sort that has been established in
. Burke stressed mankind’s fallibility
England since its Glorious revolution in 1688
and its tendency to fail more than
. Aristocratic rule should further be constrained by the existence of a strong, confident society,
succeed. He therefore denounced the
guaranteed by the myriad of ‘little platoons’
idealistic society that the french
. Change pursued by the state should be slow, cautious and respectful
revolution imagined, claiming it was
. While change was necessary to conserve, change should proceed on the basis of fact and experience
based on a utopian – thus unrealistic
rather than theory and idealism. Burke duly criticised the french revolution for discaring what was
– view on human nature
‘known’ in favour of an entirely new society based on ‘philosophical abstraction’
The economy
. Trade should involve ‘organic’ free markets and laissez-faire capitalism
. (differing from Hobbes)
