How have conservatives justified private property?
How have conservatives justified private property? 15 marks
The conservatives have justified private property in many ways; like liberals, conservatives support the ability to accumulate wealth as an important economic incentive but they also see property as having a range of psychological and social advantages
The first advantage of possessing private property is that it creates positive social values for example respect for law and order. Those who possess and enjoy their own property are more likely to respect the property of others. They will also be aware that property must be safeguarded from disorder and lawlessness. Property owners therefore have a “stake” in society: they have an interest in particular, in maintaining law and order. In this sense, property ownership can promote what can be thought of as the conservative values of respect for law, authority and social order.