Conservatives essay:

To what extent do Conservatives agree over the role of the state?

Conservatism is a political philosophy that favours tradition in the face of external

forces for change. The two tensions within Conservatism New Right and One Nation
have conflicting views of the role of the state.

Firstly the weaker argument suggest that it could be said that conservatives
disagrees over the role of the state due to the view of Neo liberals that rejects the
idea of paternalism which is the idea that the state should acknowledge the noblesse
oblige - meaning those privileged in society should support the lower classes. This
idea is linked with the works of Benjamin Disrali who’s one-nation conservatism
blended self-interest with principle. This was seen in his works such as ‘Sybil’ in
1845. Neo-liberals aims to reduce the size of the state so unregulated markets can
generate more of a dynamic and efficient economy leading to increased growth and
prosperity. Therefore it could be said that they believe that the primary role of the
state is to protect individual rights, the emphasis is on maximum economic freed0m
and minimal government regulation in social affairs provides a trial conservative
core value to paternalism. It is associated with the policies of the Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher (1979-90) which key feature was privitisation. This theme can
also be seen through the ideas of Ayn Rand who believes ‘when a state becomes
flabby, it also becomes feeble’ which emphasis the role of the state being security
instead of creating a ‘dependy culture’ through excessive social intentions. It also
argues that if the state becomes to large it can become weak and inefficient.

On the other hand the stronger argument is that it could be said to a large extent
that Conservatives do agree over the role of the state in the area of managing
change. For example conservatives agree over the idea of Organicism, which is the
idea that society is a result of unpredictable change and therefore the state is
needed to control and prevent revolution. Supporting the idea of an organic society
is the conservative belief in hierarchy. For example this theme can be seen through
key thinker Edmund Burke when he states ‘a state without the means of change.. is
without the means of its conservation’. He followed the idea that the state arises
organically and should be aristocratic, driven by a hereditary elite to rule in the
interests of all. Conservative thinker Robert Nozick who was a key figure in the
development of the New right. Nozick maintained that self-ownership gives the
individual the right to determine what can be done with the ‘possession’. Therefore
following this notion is the argument that the state is needed to manage change and
its impact on property through law and order.