Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Albert O. Hirschman, Joseph De Maistre
19 Nov 2015
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Document Summary
If change is to happen, it should happen slowly. Conservative" ideology was born before the term conservative" was used in context. Organic conception of society and the state. Liberals: for rational justification and transparency; against superstition and tradition. Conservatives: suspicious of reason; favour sentiment over scrutiny. Classical conservatives: hierarchy, tradition, anti-revolution, flawed human beings. Contemporary conservatives: small government, free markets, strong military. Critic of the french revolution of 1789. He predicted what happened with the revolution in the end. Against the revolutionaries" views of human nature, society, freedom, and government. We are creatures of habit, custom, and tradition. Humans are not perfectible or changeable by social engineering. Against the idea of atomistic, isolated individuals. Against the liberal, legalistic, business-like social contract. Society is not created by our consent. Freedom is like fire; it can be beneficial, but it can also burn down your house. Rights are concrete, not abstract and universal.
