Concept
Paternalistic conservatism
Overview
Paternalistic conservatism is a strand of conservatism which reflects the belief that societies exist, and develop, organically, and that members within them have obligations towards each other. There is particular emphasis on the paternalistic obligation, referencing the feudal concept of noblesse oblige, of those who are privileged and wealthy to the poorer parts of society. Consistent with principles such as duty, hierarchy, and organicism, it can be seen as an outgrowth of traditionalist conservatism. Paternalistic conservatives do not support the individual or the state in principle but are instead prepared to support either or recommend a balance between the two depending on what is most practical.
Paternalistic conservatism emphasizes the duties of the government to entail fairly broad state interventionism to cultivate a good life for all citizens. This leads to a dirigiste path in which the government is envisaged as a benevolent paternal figure setting goals and ensuring fair play and equal opportunity, with a stress on the importance of a social safety net to deal with poverty and support of redistribution of wealth, along with government regulation of markets in the interests of both consumers and producers. Although accepting of state intervention, paternalistic conservatives are not supportive of anything resembling a command economy.
Paternalistic conservatism first arose as a result of the industrial revolution during the 19th century, which had created social unrest, appalling working conditions and inequality. In the United Kingdom, Benjamin Disraeli's one-nation conservatism sought to deal with these effects. In the United Kingdom, there has been a continuation of one-nation conservative governments, such as those of Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, and Harold Macmillan. During the 19th century in Germany, Otto von Bismarck established the first modern welfare state, with the goal of undermining socialism by gaining working-class support. He implemented policies of state-organized compulsory insurance for workers against sickness, accident, incapacity and old age as part of his State Socialism programme. Leo von Caprivi also promoted a policy called the New Course.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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Much of what is called the "individualism" of the early nineteenth century has in truth little to do with the nature of individuals. It goes back to a metaphysics which held that harmony between man and nature can be taken for granted, if once certain artificial restrictions upon man are removed. Hence it neglected the necessity of studying and regulating industrial conditions so that a nominal freedom can be made…
John Dewey, Human Nature and Conduct
States what Paternalistic conservatism is.
In this country, for example, what are called the working-classes may be considered as excluded from all direct participation in the government. I do not believe that the classes who do participate in it have in general any intention of sacrificing the working classes to themselves. They once had that intention; witness the persevering attempts so long made to keep down wages by law. But in the present day, their…
John Stuart Mill, Considerations on Representative Government
States what Paternalistic conservatism is.
I see that these aristocratic masses are made upon what is called the principle of direct contribution. Nothing can be a more unequal standard than this. The indirect contribution, that which arises from duties on consumption, is in truth a better standard, and follows and discovers wealth more naturally than this of direct contribution. It is difficult, indeed, to fix a standard of local preference on account of…
Edmund Burke, The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 03
States what Paternalistic conservatism is.
Related ideas
- Organicism
- Three Principles of the People
- Stanford University Press
- Traditionalist conservatism
- Hierarchy
- Industrial Revolution
- Individualism
- Duty
- Murray Rothbard
- Industrialisation
- Authoritarianism
- Welfare state
- Classical economics
- Political philosophy
- Lutheranism
- Individual
- Socialism
- State (polity)
- Conservative Party (UK)
- Republic of China (1912–1949)
- Equal opportunity
- Benjamin Disraeli
- Working class
- Revolutionary socialism
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Conservatism.
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