Chapter 3: Conservatism - Discussion Questions §

Conservatism:

1. Why, and to what extent, have conservatives support tradition?
2. Is conservatism a disposition’ rather than a political ideology?
3. Why has conservatism been described as a philosophy of imperfection?
4. What are the implications of the belief that society is an organic entity?
5. How does the conservative view of property differ from the liberal view?
6. How far do conservative go in endorsing authority?
7. To what extent do conservatives favor pragmatism over principle?
8. What are the similarities and differences between traditional conservatism and Christian democracy?
9. How and why have neoliberals criticized welfare?
10. To what extent are neoliberalism and neo-conservatism compatible?
11. Why and how have conservatives sought to resist globalization?

Answer:

1. Conservative support tradition at first is believe that god create everything and so to try to change how thinks are is like to try and challenge god. But now conservatism support tradition as an old wisdom that have help humankind survive and thrive throughout the century. And also tradition give people a sense of belonging as it is a link to the past making people feel belonging and knowing there place and who they are.
2. Conservatism is not a disposition it is a political ideology because it has its own set of politic belief about human being, the society they live in, and a set of political value. They also have abundance of theory as well.
3. The reason why conservatism has been call as the philosophy of imperfection is because of the belief that human are imperfect. That human are greedy, selfish, self-center and they also fear isolation and need the feeling of being belong.
4. The implication belief that society is an organic entity is that conservative view society like a human body, because it needs all of its part to work together to keep it alive and any problem or damage to any part would result in it dying.
5. The conservative view on property that is different from liberal view is that even property rights have a commitment to fill, property aren’t just individual alone some property are pass down from one generation to another, like land and they represent the wealth of the nations and thus must be preserve.
6. To endorse authority conservative believe that authority is something natural and it came from a need to make sure that children are taken care of and discipline isn’t just mindless following but a respect for the authority. And that people need authority and leader, to make sure that everyone is safe and secure, and that leader is the most important part of the society.
7. The extent that conservatives favor pragmatism over principle:
8. Similarities and differences between traditional conservative and Christian democracy: the similarity is that they both agree for the need of state intervention into economic. While the only difference I see is that Christian democracy accept democracy, whereas traditional conservative don’t accept the concept of democracy.
9. Neoliberal criticize welfare that it doesn’t encourage more growth instead it just give it to people to consume. Neoliberal criticize welfare because they are something that government provide that doesn’t help people much, because they give without conditions. And neoliberal has an anti-state view, and state is regarded as a realm of coercion and unfree, and neoliberal has a commitment toward individual liberty and freedom.
10. The extent that neoliberalism and neo-conservatism compatible
11. Conservative sought to resist globalization because conservative have a skepticism toward changes and outside influence of the outside nation, and how it could change or influence the value and morality of the people in the nation. Some conservative are also nationalist and the view that their value and tradition is better and superior way of life and it should not be mix with outside tradition, so that at on to the idea of rejecting globalization as it is the opposite of that. Conservative do it so by promoting and encouraging nationalism.