Conservatism

POLITICAL SCIENCE

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Conservatism

Introduction
 As a political ideology, conservatism represents a thought which the desire to conserve the establish
institution and political system and always very skeptical about the changes.

 Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand used this term for the first time in 1818, during the Bourbon Restoration,
to counter the momentum of French Revolution.

Origin of Conservatism
 During the nineteenth century, conservative philosophy was developed in Europe as counter to changes
and reforms brought by modern political ideologies like Liberalism and socialism.

 Conservatism challenged the French revolutionary principle of Liberty, Equality and fraternity and stood in
defense of an Authoritative and traditional socio-political order.

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Core Themes
I. Tradition

 Edmund Burke says, ‘the institutions and practices of the past have been tested by time’ and should
therefore be preserved for the benefit of the living and for generations.

 Tradition according to conservative thinkers reflects accumulated wisdom of the past

II. Human Imperfection

 O’Sullivan narrates conservatism as a ‘philosophy of human imperfection’.

 Hobbesian notion of imperfection in human nature became the foundation for conservative theory to
counter the reform and revolution.

 Conservative thinkers have little trust in the rational capability of human and hence want to maintain the
institution and society which are already time tested and old.

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III. Organic Society

 Conservatives believe that human beings are dependent and security-seeking creatures, thus cannot exist
outside society.

 Individual is part of social group that nurture him/her such as family, friends or peer group, workmates or
colleagues, local community and even the nation.

 Conservatives believe that a society in which individual know only their rights, do not acknowledge their
duties, would be rootless and atomistic.

 Hence, it is bond of duty and obligation that hold society together and ensure the liberty.

IV. Hierarchy and Authority

 They believed that society is naturally hierarchical. There is natural inequality among humans.

 They emphasized on leadership and discipline to maintain authority.

 Conservatism suggest that individuals have an obligation to respect this hierarchy in order for society to
function.

 For example – Conservatism would argue that young people should do as suggested by teacher or elder
without questioning, as a sense of duty.

V. Property

 According to them, property provides security because property owners have an interest in particular, in
maintaining law and order, Therefore, promotes conservative values of respect of law, authority and social
order.

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Authoritarian Conservatism
 Authoritarianism is belief in or the practice of government ‘from above’, in which authority is exercised
over a population with or without its consent.

 Authoritarian conservatism wished to restore absolute power to hereditary monarchy.

 There are few examples from history, who supported Authoritarian conservatism:

 Tsar Nicholas
th
He ruled in Russia in 19 century. He proclaimed the principles of ‘orthodoxy, autocracy and
nationality’ in contrast to the values that has inspired the French Revolution; liberty, equality and
fraternity.

Traditional Conservatism
 Traditional conservatism also known as classical conservatism.

 It emphasizes the importance of transcendent moral principles, customs, conventions and traditions.

 Traditionalist defends classical western civilization.

 They are committed to hierarchic and paternalistic values.

 Along with Edmund Burke, T.S Eliot, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Thomas Carlyle, Oakeshott is one of the most
important proponents of traditionalism.

Liberal Conservatism & New Right Theory

 Liberal conservatism have not simply converted to liberalism, but believe that liberal economics is
compatible with a more traditional, conservative social philosophy, base on values such as authority and
duty

 A strong state is required to maintain public order and ensure that authority is respected. Libertarian
conservatives are attracted to free market theories precisely because they promise to secure social order.

 The new right is a marriage between two apparently contrasting ideological traditions first classical liberal
economics, particularly the free market theories of Adam Smith as a critique of ‘big’ government and
economic and social intervention and second traditional conservative especially its defence of order,
authority and discipline.

Neo-Conservatism
 Originated as an ideology during 1970s in USA. It represents the combination of Political individualism with
traditional conservatism.

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 They believe that current crisis in society is due to declining influence of culture and religion.

 It was originated as a counter to communism and Stalinism. Irving Kristol, Francis Fukuyama and Nathan
Glazer are few neo-conservatives.

Key figure in Conservatism

I. Edmund Burke
 Burke is associated with a pragmatic willingness to ‘change in order to conserve’.

 He is known as father of the Anglo-American conservative as well as modern Conservatism.

 Burke deeply opposed the French revolutionary idea of ‘the universal rights of man’, arguing that wisdom
resides largely in experience, tradition, and history.

 Some important books :

 A Vindication of Natural Society (1756)

 Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790)

II. Friedrich von Hayek

 He believed in individualism and market order. In his book the road to serfdom (1944) he developed a
defense of laissez-faire and attacked economic intervention of government as totalitarian.

 Hayek said – “Since the development during the last decades has been generally in a socialist direction, it
may seem that both conservatives and liberals have been mainly intent on retarding that movement.”.

 His other works include the constitution of Liberty (1960) and Low, Legislation and Liberty (1979).

III. Michael Oakeshott

 He says that conservative disposition is ‘to prefer the familiar to the unknown, to prefer the tried to the
untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible his best known works are; Rationalism in Politics (1962)
and On Human conduct (1975).

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IV. Irving Kristol

 Kristol abandoned liberalism in the 1970s and became increasingly critical of the spread of welfarism and
the ‘counterculture’. He is known as Godfather of Neo-Conservatism. Some of the important books are:

 Two Cheers for Capitalism (1978)

 Reflections of a Neo-Conservative (1983)

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