Burkean conservatism, legibility and populism
Burkean conservatism, legibility and populism
Links have sometimes been drawn between conservatism and populism, but the radical nature of the latter, focused on change as a direct end, means that they cannot be connected so easily. This article argues that nevertheless, conservative thinking of the Burkean tradition can be used to understand, and possibly address, populist concerns. This is not because conservatism is biased towards the status quo – the conservative argues, on the contrary, that innovators, whether rationalist or populist, undervalue the status quo, and are therefore biased against it. Rather, the conservative values the legibility of a person’s society or culture to that person, and diagnoses many populist grievances as resulting from innovation making society less legible to the individuals within it.
Conservatism, Epistemology, Legibility, Populism, public reason, scepticism, status quo bias
81-100
O'Hara, Kieron
0a64a4b1-efb5-45d1-a4c2-77783f18f0c4
2021
O'Hara, Kieron
0a64a4b1-efb5-45d1-a4c2-77783f18f0c4
Abstract
Links have sometimes been drawn between conservatism and populism, but the radical nature of the latter, focused on change as a direct end, means that they cannot be connected so easily. This article argues that nevertheless, conservative thinking of the Burkean tradition can be used to understand, and possibly address, populist concerns. This is not because conservatism is biased towards the status quo – the conservative argues, on the contrary, that innovators, whether rationalist or populist, undervalue the status quo, and are therefore biased against it. Rather, the conservative values the legibility of a person’s society or culture to that person, and diagnoses many populist grievances as resulting from innovation making society less legible to the individuals within it.
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ohara, Burkean conservatism, legibility and populism 2019
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Burkean conservatism legibility and populism
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Accepted/In Press date: 26 August 2019
Published date: 2021
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© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Keywords:
Conservatism, Epistemology, Legibility, Populism, public reason, scepticism, status quo bias
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Local EPrints ID: 433689
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/433689
ISSN: 1356-9317
PURE UUID: 9c3f2465-1f56-419a-8300-6362deca9f15
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Date deposited: 30 Aug 2019 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 02:52
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