Edmund Burke and the Origins of Conservatism

Conservatism

In this course, Dr Mark Garnett (University of Lancaster) introduces the core political idea of conservatism. We begin in the first module by thinking about the origins of conservatism in Edmund Burke’s reaction to the French Revolution. In the second module, we consider the two dominant conservative traditions since the Second World War: one-nation conservatism and New Right thinking. In the third module, we examine the ideas of key conservative thinkers in Britain and the United States. Finally, in the fourth module, we think about the development of conservatism in Britain since the election of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister in 1979 and consider ongoing ideological divisions within the Conservative Party about Britain’s place in Europe.

Edmund Burke and the Origins of Conservatism

In this module, we think about the origins of conservatism as a political idea, focusing in particular on the impact of the French Revolution on Edmund Burke, his emphasis on tradition and the wisdom of the past, and how these relate to our understanding of conservatism today.