Traditional Conservatism and the New Right: Tensions Within the Tradition
Conservatism divides between its traditional wing and the New Right, with one-nation conservatism sitting as a paternalistic middle position between them.
Method
- Set up the spectrum explicitly before analysing any question: traditional conservatism (Burke, Oakeshott), one-nation conservatism (paternalism, noblesse oblige), and the New Right, itself split into neo-liberal (Rand, Nozick) and neo-conservative strands.
- Anchor traditional conservatism to Oakeshott's critique of 'rationalism in politics': abstract ideological planning is dangerous because it discards the practical, tested wisdom embedded in tradition and existing institutions.
- Anchor one-nation conservatism to the idea of noblesse oblige, the paternalistic duty of the privileged to help the less fortunate, justified as much by a concern for social stability and preventing 'two nations' as by moral obligation.
- Anchor New Right neo-liberalism to Rand's defence of rational self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism as morally superior to altruism, and to Nozick's entitlement theory of justice, which argues any state larger than a minimal, 'night-watchman' state protecting against force, theft and fraud violates individual rights.
- Anchor New Right neo-conservatism to its emphasis on authority, national identity, traditional family structures and a strong state on law and order, distinguishing it clearly from the neo-liberal strand's preference for a smaller state.
- When a question asks about tension 'within' conservatism, always specify which two (or three) strands you are comparing, since 'traditional versus New Right' and 'one-nation versus neo-liberal' test different content.
- For an evaluative question, use the state's role in the economy as the clearest single dividing line: one-nation conservatism and traditional conservatism accept a state that intervenes for social cohesion, while New Right neo-liberalism wants the state to withdraw from the economy almost entirely.
Worked example
A student has been asked: 'To what extent do one-nation conservatism and the New Right agree on the role of the state?' Plan the two contrasting cases before reaching a judgement.
- Identify the two positions precisely: one-nation conservatism accepts state intervention in the economy and welfare for social cohesion; the New Right's neo-liberal strand wants to minimise the state's economic role.
- Build the one-nation case: rooted in Burke's paternalism and popularised by nineteenth-century Conservative politics, it argues the privileged have a duty (noblesse oblige) to support the less fortunate, and that some redistribution prevents Britain becoming socially and economically 'two nations'.
- Build the New Right neo-liberal case: drawing on Nozick's entitlement theory of justice, it argues taxation for redistribution is a form of forced labour that violates individual rights, and that only a minimal state protecting against force, theft and fraud is justified.
- Bring in Rand to reinforce the neo-liberal case: she argues rational self-interest and free-market capitalism, not altruism or state-enforced welfare, are the morally correct basis for society.
- Note where the two positions still agree, despite this economic disagreement: both remain committed to hierarchy, private property, national tradition and order, and both reject revolutionary or egalitarian restructuring of society.
- Reach a judgement, for example that one-nation conservatism and the New Right agree on the value of hierarchy, property and order, but disagree sharply, almost to the point of contradiction, on how much the state should do economically.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1According to Oakeshott, why is 'rationalism in politics' dangerous?Show answer
Answer: Because it tries to redesign society according to abstract first principles, discarding the practical, tested wisdom built up through tradition and experience, which Oakeshott believed serves society better than ideological blueprints.
Q2What is meant by 'noblesse oblige' in one-nation conservatism?Show answer
Answer: The paternalistic idea that the privileged have a duty to look after the welfare of the less fortunate, partly out of moral obligation and partly to preserve social stability and unity.
Q3What is Nozick's entitlement theory of justice?Show answer
Answer: The theory that a distribution of resources is just if it results from just acquisition and voluntary exchange, meaning taxation for redistribution beyond a minimal state violates individuals' entitlement to what they have justly acquired.
Q4What did Nozick call the only legitimate form of the state, and what should it be limited to?Show answer
Answer: The minimal or 'night-watchman' state, limited to protecting citizens against force, theft, fraud and enforcing contracts.
Q5According to Ayn Rand, what is the correct moral basis for society?Show answer
Answer: Rational self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism, which she saw as morally superior to altruism, which she believed wrongly demands self-sacrifice for others.
Q6What two strands make up the New Right?Show answer
Answer: Neo-liberalism, which wants a smaller economic state and free markets, and neo-conservatism, which wants a strong state on law, order, national defence and traditional morality.
Q7Explain the phrase 'the free economy and the strong state' as applied to the New Right.Show answer
Answer: It summarises the New Right's combination of a minimal state in economic matters (neo-liberalism) with an assertive, authoritative state on law and order, national identity and morality (neo-conservatism).
Q8Give one way traditional conservatism, as developed by Oakeshott, differs from New Right neo-liberalism.Show answer
Answer: Oakeshott's traditional conservatism is sceptical of applying any fixed ideological programme, including free-market ideology, to politics, whereas New Right neo-liberalism actively promotes a specific ideological commitment to laissez-faire capitalism.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a A Level Politics exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Analyse the differences between one-nation conservatism and the New Right's neo-liberal strand.
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Evaluate the extent to which the New Right represents a break from, rather than a continuation of, traditional conservatism. You must consider this view and the alternative view in a balanced way, and reach a supported judgement.
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