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The Legend of Oakeshott's Conservatism: Sceptical Philosophy and Limited Politics*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2009

Jeremy Rayner
Jeremy Rayner
Affiliation:
Lakehead University
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Abstract

Michael Oakeshott's contribution to political philosophy has been overshadowed by the widespread belief that the proper context for his writings is modern conservatism. The legend of Oakeshott's conservatism is shown to rest on a misunderstanding of the way in which his view of politics as a specific and limited activity is derived from a more general, sceptical account of the relation between belief and conduct. His scepticism here is not a Burkean rejection of the relevance of general beliefs, but a Humean call for “speculative moderation” appropriate to the occasion. This is not to say that Oakeshott's writings are without political significance. In fact, their significance lies in their powerful critique of modern conservatism in Europe and America.

Résumé

La contribution de Michael Oakeshott à la philosophie politique a été éclipsée par le mythe selon lequel ses écrits se situent dans le courant du conservatisme moderne. Le soi-disant conservatisme d'Oakeshott est attribuable à une erreur d'interprétation. En effet, Oakeshott conçoit la politique comme une activité spécifique et somme toute limitée, mais dérive cette conception des rapports plus généraux qu'il établit entre les convictions et les comportements. Le scepticisme dont il fait preuve n'est pas une réjection burkienne de la pertinence des convictions diffuses, mais un plaidoyer, inspiré de Hume, en faveur d'une spéculation modérée et plus pragmatique. Ainsi, les écrits d'Oakeshott ont d'autant plus de pertinence qu'ils critiquent vigoureusement le conservatisme moderne en Occident.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , June 1985 , pp. 313 - 338
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 1985

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References

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