Conservatism Core Values

Conservatism Core Values

1. Tradition

   • Tradition=values, practices or institutions that have endured through time.
     • E.g Cameron's support of First-Past-The-Post voting system, Cameron "I don't want to be Prime Minister of England, I wanted to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom" (in regard to the 2014 Scottish Referendum)
   • Michael Oakeshott described the political world as a 'boundless and bottomless' pit. Conservatives are opposed to the uncertainty of abstract thinking - prefer to maintain the status quo.
     • Tradition reflects accumulated wisdom of the past
       • Burke - "those who do not know history are destined to repeat it".
   • It also creates a sense of identity. It gives people a feeling of belonging, creating social cohesion and harmony.
     • Tradition is more than political institutions. It encompasses all the customs and social practises that are familiar and generate security and belonging.

2. Human Imperfection

   • O'Sullivan - conservatism is a 'philosophy of human imperfection' Conservatism holds a pessimistic, almost Hobbesian view of human nature.
   • Believe humans are imperfect and unperfectible. They are psychologically limited and fear isolation and insability
     • Conservatives stress importance of law and order. Without it there will be anomie = social instability and anarchy.
       • e.g 2011 riots - DC said causes included economic woes and political instability responsible.
   • Religion - Old Testament 'Adam & Eve' doctrine of 'original sin'. Crime is not a product of inequality but a consequence of human instinct.

3. Organic Society

   • Cons. believe human beings are dependant and desperately need to belong to society.
     • Cons. dislike concept of 'negative liberty' - where the individual is 'left alone'. This will cause anomie.
       • Cons. believe freedom involves 'doing one's duty' e.g parents instruct children how to behave.
   • Cons. compare society to an organism. E.g the family has not been 'invented' but is natural.

4. Hierarchy & Authority

   • Believe society is naturally hierarchical. Believe inequality is inevitable in an organic society.
     • Burke - Natural Aristocracy - idea that talent and leadership are innate and cannot be achieved through self-advancement. Just as the brain, liver and heart perform different functions in an organism - so do the different classes.
   • Belief in hierarchy is strengthened by Cons.' stance on authority. They believe authority can only be imposed 'from above'.
     • It is important and beneficial as everybody needs guidance and security, and that comes from knowing what is expected of them.
     • Thatcher acted authoritatively, resulting in Michael Heseltine's resignation in 1989 over the Westland Affair and her authoritarian, uncooperative approach to governing.

5. Property

   • In an unpredictable world, private property gives an individual a sense of confidence and assurance.
     • They will be aware that property must be safeguarded and property owners therefore have an interest in society and in maintaining law and order.
   • Quite often property is hereditary and passed down from generation to generation - hence why DC opposed Labour's 'Mansion Tax'
     • Harold MacMillan was also critical of Thatcher's policy of privatisation, describing it as "selling off the family silver".