Michael Oakeshott
A 20th-century conservative thinker who argued for a sceptical, anti-ideological conservatism based on practical experience and the rejection of grand political theories.
Real World
When Margaret Thatcher declared 'there is no such thing as society' and pursued sweeping free-market reforms, Oakeshottian conservatives like Ian Gilmour criticised her precisely for imposing an abstract ideological blueprint — the opposite of Oakeshott's practical, sceptical politics.
Exam Focus
Distinguish Oakeshott's sceptical conservatism from Thatcherite New Right ideology — examiners frequently reward this internal conservative tension.
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