But What is Conservatism?
Conservatism is a political ideology associated with the right of politics that arose in the 18th and 19th centuries in response to the economic, political, and social change of the period.
Put simply, Conservatism is a desire to “conserve” and is supportive of tradition. To this end, Edmund Burke (1729–1797), a philosopher and politician, is often regarded as the founding father of Conservatism who strongly opposed the new ideas of the time and the change brought about during the French Revolution. Being resistant to change and with a belief that humans are imperfect and inherently flawed, it is seen as a reaction to the French Revolution, liberalism, and the enlightenment.
Tradition is one of the main themes of Conservatism. Burke described tradition as “God-given”, and how it is the “law of our creator”. As such, change is seen to be going against God’s will. Conservatives also tend to believe that traditions are the accumulated wisdom of the past that have been tested with time, and have proven to work. As a result, they should be preserved for the benefit of future generations. Chesterton, (1874–1936), built upon the ideas of Burke and described this as “democracy of the dead”.
“Society should be a Partnership between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born.”
- Edmund Burke
Conservatives also argue that traditions give people a sense of identity and security. Traditional values and institutions are familiar and reassuring. In contrast, change is a journey into the unknown and is full of uncertainty.
Conservatives also have a pessimistic view of human nature. They are dismissive of the utopian beliefs of Liberalism and how individuals will act rationally. To Conservatives, humans are immoral, selfish, and greedy. Hence the need for a tough criminal justice system. The view that humans are security-seeking justifies the priority of order over liberty. Order creates stability and security, whereas liberty creates change and uncertainty.
The idea of an “organic society” ties in strongly with the Conservative view on human nature and their need for belonging. Conservatives see society as a living thing that is held together by bonds of duty and obligation. Like a living organism, different parts of society cannot be changed and rearranged at will. All parts carry out different functions depending on their ability and society is only successful if all parts are in good health. Everyone has a role in society based on their ability.
Human nature also justifies Authority and Hierarchy within society. Authority is imposed from above as individuals do not know what’s good for them. With this authority comes the responsibility to act in a paternalistic way. This relationship is best described as how a parent helps to guide their children. Although the child’s viewpoints are listened to, out of a duty of care the parent has the final say and knows what’s best.
It is a restriction of liberty that is supposedly in the best interests of the population. Authority also creates a sense of security for individuals as a result of knowing where they stand and what is expected of them. Conservatives promote the idea of “natural hierarchy”. Burke describes how leaders are born that way as talent is unevenly distributed across society. Equality, as a result, is seen as unachievable and undesirable with inequality being the natural state.
The right to private property is another strongly held belief of Conservatism. For Conservatives, private property provides a sense of protection alongside security in times of economic hardship, giving people a “fall back option”. Owners of property also have a stake in society and as a result, are more likely to abide by laws and respect other people’s property. Property also comes as a reward for those who work hard, giving strong economic incentives.
Like all ideologies Conservatism also comes in many different branches and sub-branches. Many of the previous points made, go hand in hand with traditional Conservatism.
Although they fit loosely under the umbrella term of Conservative, there is a debate about whether they are just different parts of one ideology or separate ideologies with different core values and beliefs.
One of the more extreme forms of Conservatism is “Authoritarian Conservatism”. This is the belief in Government “from above”. Authoritarian Conservatives argue that authority should be absolute and unquestionable. This can be with or without the consent of the people. They derive most of their beliefs from the “natural order” and it’s wisdom that gives leaders the right to rule.
Authoritarian Conservatives take to the extreme, the arguments of ability being unevenly distributed throughout society. Although all Conservatives respect the idea of authority, modern Conservatives rarely identify as “Authoritarian”.
In the Western World, it is in Continental Europe where traditions within Conservatism favour Authoritarianism. Examples include Tsar Nicholas I (1796–1855), who refused to give away any of his power and believed in Autocracy, and leaders such as Mussolini (1883–1945) who ruled as the dictator of Italy until he was overthrown in WW2.
The second form of Conservatism is “Paternalistic Conservatism”. As discussed earlier, “Paternalism” is acting in a fatherly fashion to prevent people from harm. Paternalistic Conservatives are more common in Anglo-American Conservatives who have been more flexible than their counterparts in continental Europe. Edmund Burke argued for “change to conserve”. He described this as being change to prevent further change.
“A state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation.”
- Edmund Burke
Ian Gilmour (1926–2007), who was a Conservative politician, shared this view arguing that ideas should be adapted to suit the present. Paternalistic Conservatism can best be seen in the One Nation Conservatism pushed by British Politician, and later, Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881). Disraeli argued that Britain was being divided into two nations of the rich and the poor. Reform was actually in the interests of the rich, as without any reform there would be a revolution. This gave birth to the idea of “social obligation”. Wealth and privilege came with a duty of care to the poor. The “accident of birth” argued that the poor cannot help being born poor, and as they are not the architects of their own misfortune, they are deserving of help.
‘A wise Conservative travels light.”
- Ian Gilmour
A more modern type of Conservatism is the “New Right”. This is a combination of two seemingly contrasting ideologies, “Neoconservatism” and “Neoliberalism”. This is best described as economic liberalism and social authoritarianism.
Economically, the New Right has a strong belief in free-market economics and a minimal role for the state. It is fundamentally opposed to public ownership as the lack of profit motive leads to inefficiency. This gained traction in the late 1970s when, especially in Britain, people began to doubt state ownership in the economy and turned to more free-market economic policies to deliver sustained growth and better stability. Much of the Liberal new right attempted to justify a lack of state intervention and believed that there is a “natural unemployment rate” and by trying to tackle this, the state only made problems worse.
Thatcher and Reagan, two examples of the ‘New Right”, both allowed unemployment to rise, believing that the free-market would solve this problem. Thatcher’s main policy was to “roll back the frontiers of the state”, and did so by privatising the major industries that had previously been state-owned.
Another major part of the New Right is being anti-welfarist. Described as the “Nanny State”, one argument was that this led to the decline of the “breadwinning men”, who would be the ones bringing in the money for the family. This decline, in turn, led to the breakdown of the traditional family, a rise in single mothers, and fatherless children. The New Right believed that the breakdown of the family model led to an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour from children raised outside of this. American Philosopher Robert Nozick (1938–2002), argued that welfare was “legalised theft” as it takes the justly acquired property of one individual and gives it to another without their consent.
The Conservative New Right takes a stronger focus on social policy and alongside the Liberal New Right, emerged in the 1970s. This was a reaction to the social change seen in the 1960s and the feared social breakdown. This has much stronger roots in the more traditional aspects of Conservatism. Much of the focus of the Neoconservatives revolved around strengthening law and order. In Britain, during the Thatcher years, this saw an increase in the length of prison sentences and the greater use of custodial sentences.
They believed that increasing crime was a consequence of the decline of authority seen in the 1960s. For example, Thatcher believed strongly in “Victorian values”, and the family as a figure of authority that is naturally hierarchical (Parents and children). The traditional family model is supported by a “Breadwinning father, homemaking mother and the children”. Section 28, also made it illegal to promote homosexuality in Britain in order to protect this traditional family model.
Patriotism also forms a key part of the New Right and saw multiculturalism as a threat to the traditions and values of a country. As a result the New Right strongly supported tougher laws on Immigration.
The New Right is rather unique in how it combines two seemingly opposed ideologies into one. Many would have previously stated the contradiction between having both a strong and minimal state. Gamble (b1947), summarised the New Right and specifically Thatcherism as being both a free market and a strong state. Other New Right supporters have also argued that a state can be strong yet minimal.
“Limitation of government doesn’t make for a weak government. If you’ve got the role of government clearly set out, then it means very strong government in that role.”
- Margaret Thatcher
In conclusion, Conservatism is not just one ideology but a wide range of ideas and principles that are held together loosely by the core themes of authority, hierarchy, tradition, and a pessimistic view of human nature. We hope you have enjoyed this article and come away with a better understanding of what Conservatism is.
