Michael Oakeshott & Ayn Rand
Political Studies: Edexcel A Level, topic 5.3.2
Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990)
Michael Oakeshott was a British political philosopher who wrote 'Rationalism in Politics' (1962) and 'On Human Conduct' (1975).
Tradition
- Oakeshott wrote that to be conservative is to “prefer the familiar to the unknown, to prefer the tried to the untried” and to prefer “the actual to the possible”.
- Conservative tradition is to prefer the familiar to the unknown and to trust customs and historical structures rather than to try and make radical change.
Human imperfection
- Oakeshott believed that humans are intellectually imperfect - political ideas are so broad and complex that we as humans are unable to grasp them.
Pragmatism
- Oakeshott believed that conservatism should be pragmatic.
- Instead of being highly ideological, conservatives should make practical decisions.
- Oakeshott believed that the state should be maintained, but not overhauled or changed in a revolutionary way- as this would not be in the conservative tradition.
- He believed that increased state intervention was a bad thing, and that changing society through social engineering was not in the conservative spirit.
Ayn Rand (1905-1982)
Ayn Rand was a conservative thinker who had radical ideas and proposed neoliberal policies. She is famous for writing 'Atlas Shrugged', which has a strong focus on freedom and individuality.
Objectivism
- Rand supported the philosophical idea of objectivism, which argues that we can gain objective knowledge through the use of logic and reason.
- Objectivists believe that knowledge exists outside of consciousness, and so can be discovered and perceived.
- Objectivism also argues that pursuing individual happiness is the purpose of life.
- She supported ideas of human rationality, and that we should trust individuals to make decisions for themselves.
- Rand opposed conservative paternalism.
Rationalism
- Rand believed that because humans are rational and self-interested beings, we have a duty to put our interests before other people’s and that altruism (putting others before one's self) is immoral.
- Rand was a rational egoist, because she believed that acting in one’s own interest was rational.
- Rand was also an ethical egoist, because she believed that we are morally obliged to act in our own interest.
Freedom
- Rand supported a laissez-faire economic system and believed this was the only way for individuals to be truly free.
Test yourself on Michael Oakeshott & Ayn Rand
Which text did Michael Oakeshott NOT write?
Which text is Ayn Rand famous for writing?