5. To what extent do conservatives agree about human imperfection
Society
• Traditional conservatives - believe that humans are morally, psychologically and
intellectually awed, therefore humans crave order, stability and security which is
brought about by having an organic society with a natural aristocracy
• Burger - looking out for and taking into consideration the interests of the less fortunate,
because human beings are dependent creatures they can not exist outside society but
are in desperate need of it due to their imperfect nature
• Liberal New Right - humans are rational and are not as dependent as traditional
conservatives believe
• They are able to act as individuals and should be encouraged to be self reliant and
make reason based choices concerning their interests
• Thatcher - there is no such thing as society only individuals and their families, society is
product of actions and self seeking individuals.
State
• Traditional conservatives - all agree that ‘the state of nature without authority is poor,
solitary, nasty, brutish’ - Hobbes
• This is due to the imperfect nature of human beings and the fact that they are so
morally awed
• Having a state means that there would be a prevention of con ict and disorder in
society, it means that there would be an established sense of authority which is what
humans need in order to have the security they desire
• Oakeshott - ‘the political world is boundless and bottomess’ - humans are
intellectually imperfect which means we need a strong state made up of natural
aristocracy to give up our freedom to in return for a sense of law and order
• Hobbes - in terms of the amount of power that the state should have the New Right
neoliberals disagree
• They are anti-statist and do not believe that the state provides immense security and
stability, but rather that it is a realm of unfreedom and coercion
• They are under the impression that individuals do have rational capacities and should
be fully free to exercise this.
Economy
• Traditional conservatives - believe that due to the limitations that humans have, there
needs to be a paternalistic economic approach with the economy
• Are in favour of more Keynesian style economic policies that helped those less
fortunate
• Authoritarian conservatives - agreed with capitalism, believed it was important for the
property holders to uphold duty to the less fortune
• One Nation - more concerned with increasing economic welfare to help lower classes
and reduce unemployment
• Neo liberals - in favour of decreased intervention in the economy, deregulation and
privatisation, critical of welfare state
• Nozick - ‘welfare is forced labour’
• Redistribution and common good undermine self ownership and encourage reliance on
external factors
• Humans are rational beings and are capable of making intelligent reason based choices,
they do not need intervention but rather the market forces deliver e cient
• Rand - ‘radical for capitalism’ - reason leads tp support for egoism and strong belief
in market fundamentalism/capitalism
fl fl fl ffi
Society
• Traditional conservatives - believe that humans are morally, psychologically and
intellectually awed, therefore humans crave order, stability and security which is
brought about by having an organic society with a natural aristocracy
• Burger - looking out for and taking into consideration the interests of the less fortunate,
because human beings are dependent creatures they can not exist outside society but
are in desperate need of it due to their imperfect nature
• Liberal New Right - humans are rational and are not as dependent as traditional
conservatives believe
• They are able to act as individuals and should be encouraged to be self reliant and
make reason based choices concerning their interests
• Thatcher - there is no such thing as society only individuals and their families, society is
product of actions and self seeking individuals.
State
• Traditional conservatives - all agree that ‘the state of nature without authority is poor,
solitary, nasty, brutish’ - Hobbes
• This is due to the imperfect nature of human beings and the fact that they are so
morally awed
• Having a state means that there would be a prevention of con ict and disorder in
society, it means that there would be an established sense of authority which is what
humans need in order to have the security they desire
• Oakeshott - ‘the political world is boundless and bottomess’ - humans are
intellectually imperfect which means we need a strong state made up of natural
aristocracy to give up our freedom to in return for a sense of law and order
• Hobbes - in terms of the amount of power that the state should have the New Right
neoliberals disagree
• They are anti-statist and do not believe that the state provides immense security and
stability, but rather that it is a realm of unfreedom and coercion
• They are under the impression that individuals do have rational capacities and should
be fully free to exercise this.
Economy
• Traditional conservatives - believe that due to the limitations that humans have, there
needs to be a paternalistic economic approach with the economy
• Are in favour of more Keynesian style economic policies that helped those less
fortunate
• Authoritarian conservatives - agreed with capitalism, believed it was important for the
property holders to uphold duty to the less fortune
• One Nation - more concerned with increasing economic welfare to help lower classes
and reduce unemployment
• Neo liberals - in favour of decreased intervention in the economy, deregulation and
privatisation, critical of welfare state
• Nozick - ‘welfare is forced labour’
• Redistribution and common good undermine self ownership and encourage reliance on
external factors
• Humans are rational beings and are capable of making intelligent reason based choices,
they do not need intervention but rather the market forces deliver e cient
• Rand - ‘radical for capitalism’ - reason leads tp support for egoism and strong belief
in market fundamentalism/capitalism
fl fl fl ffi
