Preview

To What Extent Have Conservatives Supported Tradition and Continuity/

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1284 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
To What Extent Have Conservatives Supported Tradition and Continuity/
To what extent have conservatives supported tradition and continuity?

Traditional conservatives place an emphasis on tradition as they believe, according to Edmund Burke that traditional customs and practices in society is 'God given'. Burke thus believed that society should was shaped by the 'law of the Creator', or what he called the 'natural law'. If human beings tamper the world they are challenging the will of God. Burke further described tradition as a partnership between 'those who are living, those who are dead and those who are to be born'. Tradition is also revered as it could be argued to proven to work as it has been 'tested by time', and therefore be preserved for the benefit of the living and for generations to come. Tradition reflects a Darwinian belief that those institutions and customs that have survived have only done so because they have worked and been found to be of value. They have been endorsed by a process of 'natural selection' and demonstrated their fitness to survive. Conservatives also respect tradition because it generates, for both society and the individual, a sense of identity. Established customs and practices are ones that individuals can recognize; they are familiar and reassuring. Tradition also generates social cohesion by linking people from the past and providing them with a collective sense of who they are. Change, is unknown and therefore it creates uncertainty and insecurity, and so endangers our happiness. Tradition, therefore, consists of rather more than political institutions that have stood the test of time.

Some modern Conservatives have also valued tradition, these include, the 'one nation' conservatives and the Christian Democrats. 'One nation' conservatism began in the 19th century when Disraeli coined the term. Disraeli wrote against the background of growing industrialization, economic inequality and, in continental Europe at least, revolutionary upheaval. He tried to draw attention to the danger of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    It is true that in many regards, modern liberalism has indeed rejected certain aspects of the classical liberalist approach, within such topics as individualism, freedom and justice. However, it would foolish to argue that they had abandoned it completely, as some elements have survived.…

    • 1082 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are four key principles in which currently influence modern politics and the direction of the current coalition. Firstly, Paternalism; One nation conservatism is about the stronger (richer) looking after the weaker (poorer) There is the idea behind this principle of a father looking after a son. An example of this principle having influence within the coalition is Cameron handing out and protecting free TV licenses and bus passes for the elderly. This principle clearly contrast with Thatcherites view on helping the poor, whom argue that people should help themselves and not to rely on others to help them. Overall on the principle of Paternalism I believe that the modern conservative party can be considered ‘One nation’ as although the coalition have had to make cuts due to the size and state of the deficit, cuts have included removing educational maintenance from a large number of students to help with the costs of sixth form study.…

    • 980 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cultural conservatives have a great deal of faith in the "War on Drugs"; Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush, all used the expression often and were zealous generals in this "war." Carrying on this tradition in his campaign speeches, presidential candidate Bob Dole vowed to re-ignite the drug war, which had lapsed, he claimed, under Bill Clinton—whom he designated politically and culturally far to his left. More specifically, cultural conservatives have a great deal of faith in a principle we might refer to as absolute deterrence. That is, they do not believe simply that law enforcement is more likely to "contain" or keep a given activity in check or at a lower level than no enforcement at all; instead, they argue, that war can—absolutely—…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Conservatism is defined to be “a set of political beliefs that include a limited role for the national government in helping individuals and in the economic affairs of the nation, as well as support for traditional values and lifestyles” (Sidlow & Henschen, 2016). During the 1950s and 1960s, conservatives emerged in opposition to Roosevelt’s New Deal. Conservatives are found on the right wing of the political spectrum, so they are in favor of limited government intervention, the free enterprise system, individual liberties, and retaining their traditional American values and beliefs. In today’s society, the population is divided between Democrats and Republicans based on their preferences. Both political parties utilize mass media to express and promote those opinions to the general audience.…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A prevalent question that comes up while studying America’s past is “was the American Revolution a true revolution?”. Depending on the whether the historian sides with the theory of a strict or loose constructionist, the answer will vary. Strict constructionists tend to believe that a revolution produces a significant end result whereas loose constructionists refer to any type of violence in conjunction with a constitution, rulers, or policies. This differentiation leads to the topics of conservatism and radicalism. In correlation with the American revolution, conservatists claim that the outcome of the revolution was nothing great. On the other hand, radicalists feel that the changes after the revolution were extraordinary. Pulitzer Prize-winning Carl N. Delger agrees with the conservatists…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It goes without saying that there is established or initiated member. They want to get their own power. It makes the members get authority. They have no choice but to have conventional characters because they don’t want change a rule, statues and genres. Everything that they established for past time brings about their causing money and high position in their discourse community. However, new or young people desire some new rule or genres because it is too much for them to accept the old one. That mean that is to rebel against conventionalism represents overall understanding the convention, not original one. It is a reconstruction. Therefore, to recompose concept, rules and values of a community’s genres needs the basic conventions. Those who wish for reconstructing know the old one as much as conventionalists. The most common case is conflict of between the Progressive Party and the Conservation Party. Generally, progressive party is composed of young people and conservative party is made of relatively old people. If you see the nation as to one kind of discourse community, the Progressive Party well be regarded a kind of just joining people.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    There wasn’t a conservative movement yet, but trouble showed up around 1946 when a wave of strikes broke out from people demanding quiet in the aftermath of the war. This was the beginning of the conservative movement. In 1947, the Taft-Hartley act was brought to…

    • 1663 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    poop

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The theme “One should not blindly follow tradition for tradition’s sake”, can be proven true in the poem “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost, and the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. In both works, you can see how people follow traditions because their previous generations did. In the poem, literary devices help show how the neighbors meet to fix fence because their previous generations did. In the short story, the whole town gathers in the town center to have a lottery because it has gone on longer than the oldest person in their town.…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “The Conservative Party exists to conserve”, but what exactly does it desire to conserve? According to Samuel Huntington, conservatism wishes to justify the established order (Huntington, 1957, p. 455). This established order was, when the Conservative Party was founded in the 1830s, an elitist order that justifies income inequality by saying it is natural and inevitable (Dorey, 2011, p. 5). When the franchise expanded and the working class became represented, the Conservative Party did not disappear from the political field, but flourished and is currently in government as one of the most prominent parties in the United Kingdom. Various factors explain this possibly unexpected success and this essay aims discuss the most…

    • 2456 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the book “Contradictions in Conservatism” Dr.Farmer explains the discrepancies and inconsistencies in conservatism in order to enlighten his audience about the contrariety in the ideology, Conservatism. Dr. Farmer brings forth to light the values and beliefs that they hold. He lists all of them and then he explains why they are wrong or contradicting. He does a great job in portraying their flawed logic. Along with all the ideologies he gives us basic information about Political Socialization and how our political attitudes towards other groups differ among everyone. It differs because different people in different locations contain different Socialization agents. Although, the majority of people In the United States tend to gain their attitudes…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is often said that conservatism merely reflects the interests of the privileged and prosperous and though it can be argued that conservatism seeks to protect the inheritance of property and tradition, there have been instances in conservatism where the interests of the less privileged have been protected, this is known as paternalism or one nation conservatism.…

    • 881 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the latter part of the nineteenth century, presumably around the 1890's, it became known as the Progressive Era, a time of change, reform, and adaptation. As Vernon L. Parrignton put it, it was a "democratic renaissance" (Vernon L. Parrington in The Progressive Movement: Liberal or Conservative). So what was Progressivism? Well, its main goals were to curb corporate power, to end business monopolies, and to wipe out political corruption. They also wanted to democratize electoral procedures, protect working people, and bridge the gap between social classes. They called for reforms such as the referendum, initiative, and the recall. They wanted the Americanization of the immigrant and the regulation of child and woman labor. But many historians argue what the main idea was behind the Progressive Movement; whether it was to help democratize the nation, or was just a cover up for a group of well-to-do-middle-class people who wanted to climb back up the social ladder and reassert its declining position of leadership. Although it had its many failures, and there were many reasons to believe it as a conservative movement, the Progressive Movement was in fact a liberal movement.…

    • 290 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    His ideas explain the human tendencies behind many of the ideological beliefs that Burke and other conservatives take. In fact, many of Burke’s ideas can only stem from the conservative disposition that Oakeshott outlines in this essay. For instance, through his expression that enjoyment includes the acceptance that the current moment was given to us by the past, and specifically by past society’s actions and institutions, Oakeshott makes a direct explanation of Burke’s social contact which puts the people of the present in a contract with the past and the future. The third section of Oakeshott, where he applies the conservative disposition to government, is in direct concordance with Burke’s and the general conservative’s idea of practically as the soil in which policy ideas flourish or die, i.e. historical traditions must serve as the anchor for political activity. This fact supports Oakeshott’s end argument that an awareness of the world, which happens as the result of a conservative disposition, is a necessary for someone to work in politics, as it anchors them as they make new policies. As Oakeshott also grew up during the era of welfarism and the growth of the welfare state, his essay supports the stark transition from the older styles of conservatism, especially De Maistre, which often supported aristocracy and established class…

    • 1686 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    During the latter part of the nineteenth century, presumably around the 1890's, it became known as the Progressive Era, a time of change, reform, and adaptation. As Vernon L. Parrignton put it, it was a "democratic renaissance" (Vernon L. Parrington in The Progressive Movement: Liberal or Conservative). So what was Progressivism? Well, its main goals were to curb corporate power, to end business monopolies, and to wipe out political corruption. They also wanted to democratize electoral procedures, protect working people, and bridge the gap between social classes. They called for reforms such as the referendum, initiative, and the recall. They wanted the Americanization of the immigrant and the regulation of child and woman labor. But many historians argue what the main idea was behind the Progressive Movement; whether it was to help democratize the nation, or was just a cover up for a group of well-to-do-middle-class people who wanted to climb back up the social ladder and reassert its declining position of leadership. Although it had its many failures, and there were many reasons to believe it as a conservative movement, the Progressive Movement was in fact a liberal movement.…

    • 1796 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    It’s more than just a word and its meaning is much stronger than you might think. Tradition is everything we live on our everyday basis. We don’t think about it, but we encounter tradition in almost everything we do. It’s how we were taught and it is how our children will be taught by us in the future. We need to understand that tradition makes us who we are and what we do. It is the root of our lives. It is the way of living……

    • 847 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics