Political Science · Political Theory
UGC NET August 2024 Political Science
Which of the following statements are correct regarding conservatism? Choose the correct answer from the options given below.
- 1. Conservatism postulates collective leadership and promotes treaties to achieve peace and order.
- 2. It sympathises with free-market ideology, with greater emphasis on nationalism and the authority of the state.
- 3. It is a disposition or an attitude of mind placing its faith in pragmatism, tradition and history.
- 4. It provides a model for change, improves freedom of thought and takes steps to improve the happiness of the masses.
- 5. Conservatives believe in equality and work towards reducing various kinds of inequalities.
A2 and 3 Only ✓ Correct
B1, 2 and 4 Only
C1, 2 and 5 Only
D3 and 4 Only
Correct answer: (A) 2 and 3 Only — The correct statements are 2 and 3, so the answer is the combination 2 and 3 only.
Explanation
★The correct statements are 2 and 3, so the answer is the combination 2 and 3 only.
★Statement 3 is correct: in Michael Oakeshott's account, conservatism is a disposition or an attitude of mind rather than a fixed doctrine, placing its faith in pragmatism, tradition and lived historical experience.
★Statement 2 is correct: conservatism sympathises with the free market, national identity and the authority of the state as guarantors of order and stability.
★Edmund Burke, the founder of modern conservatism, set out this outlook in Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), defending gradual, organic change over abstract revolutionary blueprints.
★Statement 1 is wrong: conservatism stresses authority, hierarchy and order, not collective leadership or treaty-making for peace.
★Statement 4 is wrong: conservatism is cautious about change and prizes the existing order, so it offers no model of progressive reform to maximise mass happiness, which is closer to utilitarian liberalism.
★Statement 5 is wrong: classical conservatism treats some hierarchy and inequality as natural rather than working to level them.
★Spotting cue: in conservatism questions, tradition, authority and gradual change are always correct, while equality, revolution and radical reform are always the distractors.
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