There Are Two Major Ways to Be Considered Conservative

There Are Two Major Ways to Be Considered Conservative

Political Orientations

The political orientations of conservatism and liberalism are important for understanding competing visions of America and the values underlying different viewpoints on key issues. You should use your understanding of these orientations in your synthesis and argument essays when appropriate.

Conservatism

There are two major ways to be considered “conservative.”

  1. Morally
  2. You value traditional morality: a traditional view of marriage, traditional gender roles, religion, family values, responsibility, duty, etc. (loyality, sanctity, authority)
  3. You value order (loyalty to the group, respect for authority)
  4. You are patriotic, nationalistic, and value assimilation. (loyalty to the group; sanctity of the flag)
  5. This means you want the government to uphold the sanctity of marriage, to limit immigration, to have a strong military.
  6. Economically
  7. You value free market capitalism, with little government intervention. (liberty)
  8. This means you want little to no taxation and little to no regulation. (liberty)

Jonathan Haidt argues that underlying these values are moral instincts, including the instincts for loyalty, respecting authority, sanctity, and fairness.

  • The instinct for loyalty leads to nationalism, valuing one’s country above other countries.
  • The instinct for authority leads to trusting tradition and traditional leaders, such as priests, police officers, and military.
  • The instinct for sanctity leads to viewing marriage as something sacred, susceptible to corruption.
  • The instinct for fairness leads to viewing people on welfare as cheaters.

Core Liberalism
Both conservatives and progressives actually can be considered “liberals” in the sense that they believe the purpose of government is essentially to protect individuals’ rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
From Locke and Mill, Jefferson took the idea that the purpose of government is to protect individuals’rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Each of these thinkers saw that it was not completely natural for many different groups to live together. In fact, they probably thought that in a “state of nature,” without a government power, life was “nasty, brutish, and short” (Hobbes). However, each of these thinkers (but not Hobbes) believed that government was often corrupt, that it often got in the way of our rights, and that the people should rebel against tyranny. Hobbes probably understood why government leaders often became Machiavellian dictators and tyrants, but Locke and Jefferson saw no reason for the people to accept a bully.They demanded that the government protect liberty.
Economic conservatives can site Jefferson as desiring a small government that did not get involved in the economy. They can site this desire for small government in their support of the Second Amendment. Progressives can site Locke and Mill in desiring a government that did not get involved in matters of morality, in desiring a separation of church and state.
Both conservatives and progressives want liberty. Conservatives tend to value religious libertyand libertyfrom government. Progressives tend to value liberty from the cultural, traditional, moral majority and the powers of economic wealth.

Progressivism

Liberals/progressives value fairness as well, but their version of fairness tends to be equality.

Liberals/progressives value liberty as well, but their version of liberty tends to be liberty from the moral majority and the wealthy.

Jonathan Haidt argues that underlying the value of equality are the moral instincts for Fairness and Care.

  • The instincts for Fairness and Care lead progressives to want to “spread the wealth.” Income inequality can be a major issue for progressives. This leads them to support high taxation on the wealthy and many government programs to help those struggling economically.
  • The instincts for Fairness and Care lead progressives to promote equal rights. Therefore, they support LGBT rights to marriage, etc. They tend to have sympathy for the outcaste.
  • The instincts for Fairness and Care lead progressives to support loose immigration laws.

Libertarians

Libertarians value liberty from government AND the moral majority. They would probably support the religious liberty of those refusing to serve homosexual married couples AND the right of homosexuals to get married. Jonathan Haidt’s research shows that they tend to be very systematic in their thinking (testosterone) and to lack empathy.

  • Libertarians are for low taxation, marijuana legalization, and gay marriage.

Assignment

For the following issues, use your understanding of conservative and progressive attitudes, values, instincts, and beliefs to predict their views on the following issues.

  1. Decide on at least one conservative argument based on a conservative idea, principle, or value and at least one progressive argument based on a progressive idea, principle, or value.
  2. Decide on what moral instincts (care, fairness, loyalty, sanctity, authority) might apply for each of these ideas, principles, or values.
  3. Decide on one causal argument for each issue. This can be either conservative or progressive, or neither. You must state a position on the issue and the best causal argument you can think of for that issue.

Slavery

Civil Rights for African Americans

Muslim Immigration

Muslim terrorism

Mexican Immigration

Poverty

Homosexual Marriage

Serving Homosexual Families

Black Lives Matter

Transgender Bathrooms

Marijuana Legalization

Funding for Education

Crime

Defending Traditional Values – Fr. Barron, Durkheim (School of Life)

Romanticism – School of Life on Rousseau, Romanticism, Burke (The Sublime), Love...Wordsworth, Emerson, Thoreau, etc.

Evolutionary Psychology (TED Talk on homosexuality, Scott Barry Kaufman? Jonathan Haidt)

Jon Haidt on Capitalism

What principles, values, or ideas did Lincoln appeal to? What moral instincts lie behind those principles, values, or ideas?

What instincts did he NOT appeal to?

HOW did he appeal to these principles and instincts?

You can also establish credibility by connecting your own beliefs to core principles that are well established and widely respected. This strategy is particularly effective when your position seems to be — at first glance, at least — a threat to traditional values. For example, when conservative author Andrew Sullivan argues in favor of legalizing samesex marriages, he does so in language that echoes the themes of family values conservatives:

Legalizing gay marriage would offer homosexuals the same deal society now offers heterosexuals: general social approval and specific legal advantages in exchange for a deeper and harder-to-extract-yourself-from commitment to another human being. Like straight marriage, it would foster social cohesion, emotional security, and economic prudence. Since there’s no reason gays should not be allowed to adopt or be foster parents, it could also help nurture children. — Andrew Sullivan, “Here Comes the Groom”

DNA in moral instincts, homosexuality, and relationships/attraction

Evolutionary Psychology vs. Romanticism

Read a bunch of prompts, brainstorm ideas, and read a bunch of great essays.

Top View