and Classical Conservatism
in the Modern Period
Introduction
Classical Liberalism and Classical Conservatism emerged as political philosophies from the past centuries as guides for government ruling. While liberalism aims for equality, conservatism wanted natural hierarchy. These two conflicts were mainly headed by two different minds in the person of John Locke (Liberalism) and Edmund Burke (Conservatism). However, no matter which became more favored in the past, the application of these ideologies in the present time is considered to be more complex than before.
Body
Take the current educational policies as considerations. Today, there are many aspects to be considered in schooling alone. This includes the curriculum, standards, technology, reforms, student welfare and development, and health (“Current Issues in Education,” n.d). School is no longer just an institution for learning; it has become a more complex community wherein the interaction does not end among students and teachers, but also the other parties concerned, such as the parents and local government are included as well. Some of the areas in educational policies are not covered by the principles of Classical Liberalism and Classical Conservatism. Therefore, these two ideologies are difficult to apply in the present.
Consider the principles of Classical Liberalism. Classical Liberalism promotes equality among the people in terms of opportunities and expressions, and regardless of origin and religion. Furthermore, there is the right of self-preservation, wherein man has given the right to judge the situation according to their will, as long as the offenders and wrongdoers will be punished (Locke, 1690). However, when this principle is applied to education, then there will be no restraints to be held when punishing violators of the school rules and regulations. There will be no process of suspension, probation, and suspension. If the decision will be based from personal judgements of the school heads, then the chances of bias will occur, especially when there is the issue of favoritism. This can be seen on both students and teachers. Another example would be the use of technology. Since “natural rights” are possessed by all people (Locke, 1690), then they are the ones to decide when technology will be utilized. If there are no governing laws which will regulate the use of technology, people might abuse their rights and as a result, they will become more dependent on the use of technology even if the situation does not need to. In general, what is complex about Classical Liberalism is that there is no constraint, and the meaning of equality will not justify the current educational systems.
Also, when referring to Classical Conservatism, some of its principles are deemed inapplicable to current educational policies. First of all, Classical Conservatism constructs a hierarchy of people, and therefore opportunities are not being given as equal, especially to those in the bottom of the hierarchy. The principle also stated that people have their rightful places in the society, and therefore, they must live and die in it (Kerwick, 2015). This principle alone is complex when applied to the current educational system because nowadays, everyone is given an opportunity to become literate and educated. No matter where the individuals came from, and regardless of background, as long as there are means to sustain education, education will surely be granted. Though people in the lower ranks are mostly poor, government gives scholarship to those who are unfortunate in terms of finances, but are deserving enough to be nourished with knowledge and wisdom. In the world today, natural hierarchy is meaningless and the people give more attention in improving their skills and abilities, which are more essential to survive the everyday lives.
Conclusion
Classical Liberalism and Classical Conservatism are both antiquated principles. However, thanks to the intelligent minds of people such as Locke and Burke, because the people learned to improve and become deserving of what they have today. It is true that these principles are complex, but such ideas led to having a better society as seen today.
References
Current Issues in Education. (n.d.). Retrieved June 08, 2016, from http://www.education.com/topic/current-education-issues/
Kerwick, J. (2015). Conservatism vs. Neoconservatism: A Philosophical Analysis. Electronic Journal for Philosophy, 22(1), 15-27.
Locke, J. (1690). Of Political or Civil Society. In The Second Treatise of Civil Government.
Locke, J. (1690). Of the State of Nature. In The Second Treatise of Civil Government.
