4. To what extent do conservatives agree about paternalism
Human Nature
• Traditional conservatives - humans are intellectually imperfect and require the help of
those who are natural born leaders
• Burke - ‘Natural aristocracy’
• They are dependent on them due to their own limitations, people desire security of
knowing their place and paternalism allows for this
• The order that comes from paternalism ensures that human life is stable and predictable
which is ultimately what the intellectually, morally and psychologically awed human
desires
• Liberal New Right - believes that humans are rational and have more optimistic view of
psychological and intellectual abilities, meaning they do not see the need for
paternalism the same way traditional conservatives do, humans are not that dependent.
Society
• Authority is rooted into the nature of society and an organic society with
interdependency and rich looking out for poor is what is best according to traditional
conservatives
• There must be leaders and these must be followers, leaders look out for follows and
paternalism protects the interest of those lower in society, ensures they are taken into
consideration
• Disraeli - prevents society from becoming two nations, the rich and the poor
• Neo liberals - although they agree that there is inevitable inequality within society that
are more in favour of individualism
• They worry that paternalism within society leads to a dependency culture developing
where people become too reliant on external support
Economy
• Traditional conservatives - have a paternalistic approach h to the economy
• Believe that social obligations suggest the wealthy have a duty to attend to the interests
of the less well o , they use this stance to justify social welfare and some redistribution
• Disraeli - introduces policies that would bene t the poor due to his belief in noblesse
oblige, privilege of ruling comes with obligation (to the poor) which supports the idea of
the fatherly sense of authority that those above have
• Neo liberal - agree that despite out rationality humans are still morally imperfect and
greedy
• However - they would agree with Rand in their belief of laissez faire, an unregulated
capitalist economy is best for e ciency
• Their beliefs on the importance of property and wealth rights seem to be incompatible
with paternalistic ideas of redistribution and welfare
• Links to Nozick - idea that ‘welfare is on par with forced labour’
ff ffi fi fl
Human Nature
• Traditional conservatives - humans are intellectually imperfect and require the help of
those who are natural born leaders
• Burke - ‘Natural aristocracy’
• They are dependent on them due to their own limitations, people desire security of
knowing their place and paternalism allows for this
• The order that comes from paternalism ensures that human life is stable and predictable
which is ultimately what the intellectually, morally and psychologically awed human
desires
• Liberal New Right - believes that humans are rational and have more optimistic view of
psychological and intellectual abilities, meaning they do not see the need for
paternalism the same way traditional conservatives do, humans are not that dependent.
Society
• Authority is rooted into the nature of society and an organic society with
interdependency and rich looking out for poor is what is best according to traditional
conservatives
• There must be leaders and these must be followers, leaders look out for follows and
paternalism protects the interest of those lower in society, ensures they are taken into
consideration
• Disraeli - prevents society from becoming two nations, the rich and the poor
• Neo liberals - although they agree that there is inevitable inequality within society that
are more in favour of individualism
• They worry that paternalism within society leads to a dependency culture developing
where people become too reliant on external support
Economy
• Traditional conservatives - have a paternalistic approach h to the economy
• Believe that social obligations suggest the wealthy have a duty to attend to the interests
of the less well o , they use this stance to justify social welfare and some redistribution
• Disraeli - introduces policies that would bene t the poor due to his belief in noblesse
oblige, privilege of ruling comes with obligation (to the poor) which supports the idea of
the fatherly sense of authority that those above have
• Neo liberal - agree that despite out rationality humans are still morally imperfect and
greedy
• However - they would agree with Rand in their belief of laissez faire, an unregulated
capitalist economy is best for e ciency
• Their beliefs on the importance of property and wealth rights seem to be incompatible
with paternalistic ideas of redistribution and welfare
• Links to Nozick - idea that ‘welfare is on par with forced labour’
ff ffi fi fl
