Conservatism

John Etherington, UAB

Index
1. Introduction
2. Origins and Development
3. Core Values and Ideas:
• Tradition
• Human imperfection
• Organic society
• Hierarchy and authority
• Property
4. Conservatisms:
• Authoritarian conservatism
• Paternalist conservatism
o One Nation Toryism
o Christian Democracy
5. Edmund Burke: Reflections on the French Revolution
6. Josef de Maistre: Considerations on France

John Etherington, UAB

1. Introduction
• Is Conservatism an ideology?

John Etherington, UAB

1. Introduction
• Is Conservatism an ideology?

• Above all, resistance to change, especially the French and Industrial

revolutions

John Etherington, UAB

2. Origins and Development
• Modern conservative thought emerges late 18th and early 19th
century.

John Etherington, UAB

2. Origins and Development
• Modern conservative thought emerges late 18th and early 19th
century.
• Different forms:
o UK – Burke, moderate/pragmatic conservatism
o Continent – more reactionary, defended ancient regime

John Etherington, UAB

2. Origins and Development
• Modern conservative thought emerges late 18th and early 19th
century.
• Different forms:
o UK – Burke, moderate/pragmatic conservatism
o Continent – more reactionary, defended ancient regime

• Outside Europe, difficult to find examples in 19th century.

John Etherington, UAB

2. Origins and Development
• Modern conservative thought emerges late 18th and early 19th
century.
• Different forms:
o UK – Burke, moderate/pragmatic conservatism
o Continent – more reactionary, defended ancient regime

• Outside Europe, difficult to find examples in 19th century.

• 20th century, US, Japan, Argentina (Peronism).

John Etherington, UAB

2. Origins and Development
• Modern conservative thought emerges late 18th and early 19th
century.
• Different forms:
o UK – Burke, moderate/pragmatic conservatism
o Continent – more reactionary, defended ancient regime

• Outside Europe, difficult to find examples in 19th century.

• 20th century, US, Japan, Argentina (Peronism).
• Late 20th century, neoconservatism (US) – small government!!

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Tradition
• For some, religious origins

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Tradition
• For some, religious origins
• Others, more secular, accumulated wisdom

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Tradition
• For some, religious origins
• Others, more secular, accumulated wisdom
• Tradition as identity and social stability

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Tradition
• For some, religious origins
• Others, more secular, accumulated wisdom
• Tradition as identity and social stability

• Human imperfection
• Pessimistic vision vs other ideologies

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Tradition
• For some, religious origins
• Others, more secular, accumulated wisdom
• Tradition as identity and social stability

• Human imperfection
• Pessimistic vision vs other ideologies
• Need for social order

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Tradition
• For some, religious origins
• Others, more secular, accumulated wisdom
• Tradition as identity and social stability

• Human imperfection
• Pessimistic vision vs other ideologies
• Need for social order
• Origin of crime, need for punishment

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Hierarchy and authority
• Rejection of social equality

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Hierarchy and authority
• Rejection of social equality
• Natural aristocracy

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Hierarchy and authority
• Rejection of social equality
• Natural aristocracy
• Natural authority

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Hierarchy and authority
• Rejection of social equality
• Natural aristocracy
• Natural authority

• Property
• source of security

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Hierarchy and authority
• Rejection of social equality
• Natural aristocracy
• Natural authority

• Property
• source of security
• social order

John Etherington, UAB

3. Core Values and Ideas
• Hierarchy and authority
• Rejection of social equality
• Natural aristocracy
• Natural authority

• Property
• source of security
• social order
• comes with responsibilities

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Authoritarian conservatism
• Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821)

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Authoritarian conservatism
• Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821)
• Reaction to French Revo.

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Authoritarian conservatism
• Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821)
• Reaction to French Revo.
• Defence of ancien regime

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Authoritarian conservatism
• Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821)
• Reaction to French Revo.
• Defence of ancien regime
• Religious basis

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Authoritarian conservatism
• Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821)
• Reaction to French Revo.
• Defence of ancien regime
• Religious basis
• 19th century: See:
o Spain
o Russia - Nicholas 1 (1825-1855) “orthodoxy, autocracy and nationality”
o Italy, Pius IX: liberalism, socialism and nationalism “false doctrines of our unhappy age”

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Authoritarian conservatism
• Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821)
• Reaction to French Revo.
• Defence of ancien regime
• Religious basis
• 19th century: See:
o Spain
o Russia - Nicholas 1 (1825-1855) “orthodoxy, autocracy and nationality”
o Italy, Pius IX: liberalism, socialism and nationalism “false doctrines of our unhappy age”
• Authoritarian populism
o Louis Napoleon c.19
o Peronism “order, obedience, national unity”

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Paternalist conservatism
• Origins in Burke

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Paternalist conservatism
• Origins in Burke
• “Everything must change, so that everything remains the same” (Di
Lampedusa).

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Paternalist conservatism
• Origins in Burke
• “Everything must change, so that everything remains the same” (Di
Lampedusa).

• One Nation Toryism

o Benjamin Disraeli – ‘noblesse oblige’
o Randolph Churchill – deferential vote
o ‘Compassionate conservatism’ of post-WW2

John Etherington, UAB

4. Conservatisms
• Paternalist conservatism
• Origins in Burke
• “Everything must change, so that everything remains the same” (Di
Lampedusa).

• One Nation Toryism

o Benjamin Disraeli – ‘noblesse oblige’
o Randolph Churchill – deferential vote
o ‘Compassionate conservatism’ of post-WW2

• Christian Democracy

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke
• Born Ireland 1729

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke
• Born Ireland 1729

• Educated in Dublin, then London.

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke
• Born Ireland 1729

• Educated in Dublin, then London.

• 1st big opportunity when made

secretary to Earl of Rockingham (Whig,
PM).

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke
• Born Ireland 1729

• Educated in Dublin, then London.

• 1st big opportunity when made

secretary to Earl of Rockingham (Whig,
PM).

• Elected MP for Bristol

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke
• Born Ireland 1729

• Educated in Dublin, then London.

• 1st big opportunity when made secretary

to Earl of Rockingham (Whig, PM).

• Elected MP for Bristol

• Debate on support free trade big

implications for concept of political
representation.
John Etherington, UAB
Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Then argued for rights for
American colonists

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Then argued for rights for
American colonists

• In favour of impeachment of
British governor of Bengal,
Warren Hastings.

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Then argued for rights for
American colonists

• In favour of impeachment of British

governor of Bengal, Warren
Hastings.

• Surprise when published

Reflections on the French
Revolution (Nov. 1790), argued
against the Revo.

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Then argued for rights for American
colonists

• In favour of impeachment of British

governor of Bengal, Warren Hastings.

• Surprise when published Reflections

on the French Revolution (Nov. 1790),
argued against the Revo.

• Best seller – 11 editions

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Thomas Paine replied with The
Rights of Man (1791).

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Thomas Paine replied with The
Rights of Man (1791).

• Before, lots of support for

French Revo. at time (e.g. Dr.
Richard Price in speech to
Revolutionary Society).

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Thomas Paine replied with The
Rights of Man (1791).

• Before, lots of support for French

Revo. at time (e.g. Dr. Richard Price
in speech to Revolutionary
Society).

• Price argues in favour of natural

rights, if not respected, right to
rebellion (Locke)

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Burke doesn’t argue for natural
rights.

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Burke doesn’t argue for natural
rights.

• Rather traditional rights.

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Burke doesn’t argue for natural
rights.

• Rather traditional rights.

• French Revo. breaks with these.

John Etherington, UAB

Edmund Burke - Reflections
• Burke doesn’t argue for natural
rights.

• Rather traditional rights.

• French Revo. breaks with these.

• From that time, Burke distanced

himself from Whigs and Reflections
considered a foundational text of
modern conservativism.
John Etherington, UAB
References
Compulsory Reading:
• Burke, E. Reflections on the French Revolution. From the beginning until the end of the paragraph that begins “were all
these dreadful things necessary”. In Spanish: Reflexiones sobre la Revolución Francesa (varias ediciones).

Recommended:
• Heywood, A. Political Ideologies: An Introduction, various editions. Basingstoke: Palgrave-MacMillan (chapter on
Conservatism)

In addition, the following videos on Burke (vs Paine) are of interest:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ubJakZI9Bw (Be careful with the vocabularly, especially what ‘liberal’ means in the
US).
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7tMMgeOr7I

John Etherington, UAB