Traditional Conservatism

1
Traditional Conservatism

• Braunwarth
• POSC 150

2
Prejudice

• How do we know siblings should not have children
  together?
• Most societies (past and present) have a taboo
  against incest
• How could they have known about the psychological
  and genetic problems?
• We know because of society prejudice (Burke, p.
  147)

3
Edmund Burke

• 1729-1797
• Irish
• Commoner who became a member of Parliament
• Sympathetic toward American Colonies
• Opposed to French Revolution

4
Individuals are Fallible

• Human Rationality is Limited
• The life of an individual is short
• Society is long lived
• Hence we rely on tradition and convention (Burke)

5
Society

• Through society we are connected to the past and
  the future
• Society is our inheritance
• Pluralistic - many interests and groups
• Each with a role to play

6
The Individual

• Rather than focusing on individuals with rights
  who use reason to perfect society,
• Society is the central concern
• Individuals are important as members of society
  and should have rights and power
• But individuals are not isolated actors in a
  classical liberal sense

7
Setting

• Essentially a critique of liberalism and its
  excesses
• French Revolution
• Social Dislocation
• Anomie
• Crime/Prostitution
• Turned to poets, not rational discourse

8
Conservatism as a System of Though

• Lets compare Traditional Conservatism to
  Classical Liberalism on the same four points
• Epistemology
• Human Nature
• Society
• Polity

9
Epistemology

• Individual reasoning is limited
• Knowledge is experiential and piecemeal
• We get little hints
• World is complex, difficult if not impossible to
  know
• is mysterious, spiritual, natural
• Opposed to generalities of truth
• Rely on historical knowledge and tradition

10
Human Nature

• We are neither as intelligent or good as we think
  we are
• Human reason is limited and imperfect
• Should not try to remake society by light of
  reason (Oakeshott, p. 160)
• We can never foresee all consequences
• The boldest attempts do the greatest harm
• Society is older and knows better

11
Human Nature

• We are slaves to our passions
• Selfish
• Put our desires above others
• Seek more power and wealth than is good
• When we want something we shouldnt have, we
  Rationalize our conduct to get what we want,
  invent reasons
• Society must Civilize our passions

12
Society

• Public and Private are interrelated
• Become who you are by virtue of your relations
  with others
• Community is where values are created
• Society has been around a long time, works
• Individuals are fallible and will mess up
• Every baby is a caveman baby, must be civilized

13
Polity

• State
• Central facet of society (organic product)
• One institution which civilizes human beast
• Promote harmony and reduce friction
• Needs to be strong enough to restrain the
  passions of the people (Burke p. 140,141)
• Inequality is natural and a trained and wise
  leadership aristocracy is appropriate (Burke, p.
  144)

14
Polity

• Polity and the Individual
• Rights less important than obligations
• Liberty appropriate within certain limitations
  (state, religion, tradition)
• Equality society is organic and ordered, each
  has different place in the order
• Property not unlimited right, state reserves
  right to limit use if appropriate

15
Discussion Questions

• What is more convincing Conservatism or
  Liberalism?
• What are the main problems with each?
• Is there any way to show one as superior?
• What is the conservative view of capitalism and
  democracy?

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Democracy

• Originally scared of democracy
• Could tear apart traditional values
• On the one hand correct more instability
• But, on the other hand, intractable force
• Technological revolution infused science and
  knowledge throughout society
• Middle class wouldnt hold back
• What aspects of conservatism continue?

17
Modern Social Welfare Programs

• A Conservative Invention!
• Produces Social Cohesion and Stability
• Prevents Revolution
• Mutual Responsibility to the Collective
• Inequality is natural, but not too poor
• Contrary to U.S. Conservatism
• Orange County highest income, lowest charity,
  most parents in convalescent homes