Political Science 1020E Lecture 4: Lecture notes - Conservatism 2 – Nov 12
12 Feb 2019
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Reaction to the liberal and radical ideas of the enlightenment and the french revolution. Human reason requires god"s help to discover the truth and promote human welfare: a denial of the liberal commitment to reason as an instrument of progress. Catholic religion is the only legitimate religion of the state. Reactionary rejection of central liberal claims: pushing against liberal movement, secular education, authority of civil law, that the pope should reconcile himself with liberal claims. The church had real influence- this was significant. Wordsworth, coleridge, et al: rejected the french revolution and the industrial revolution. Favour emotion over reason: against reason because it should be subordinate to our emotionally grounded selves (i. e. our natural beings) Simple, rural, communal life and natural hierarchy: kind of romantic in a nostalgic way, pre-industrial utopia, romanticized, agricultural utopia. Commerce and capitalism destroy culture and spirituality: leaves us rootless, crass, shallow, undisciplined.
