‘Conservatism merely reflects the interests of the privileged and prosperous.’ Discuss (45)

This statement is asking whether all forms of conservatism’s values and actions in the past are because they wish to reflect the interests of those in society who are better off, sacrificing the interests of the less well off in doing so. The current debate is very unclear as opinion on this does, and always has varied greatly. Generally, left-wing labour supporters believe this statement is true whereas the rest of society do not agree. Conservatives have strenuously denied this claim over the years. This essay will argue that Conservatism does in fact merely reflect the interests of the privileged and prosperous, despite this claim being strongly denied by current and past conservatives.

On one hand, Conservatism does not merely reflect the interests of the privileged and prosperous, as they believe that tradition and authority benefits everyone, as it provides security and stability in society. Authority, which is the right to exercise power over others, is seen by conservatives as a guarantee of social order because it provides security and stability. People know ‘where they stand’ and what their roles are in society. There are those that are ‘leaders’ and those that are ‘followers’. This is reflected in Edmund Burke’s belief in a ‘natural aristocracy’, which is the belief in an aristocracy, which arises out of work and competition rather than birth, education, or special privilege. Conservatives believe that tradition can lead to rootedness and security because traditional concepts and institutions are familiar and reassuring, made all the stronger as it is rooted in an historical context. Because humans are emotionally imperfect, change leads to instability and insecurity, which reduces happiness. Therefore, Conservatism does not merely reflect the interests of