The New Right is often misunderstood as being a unified strand of conservatism, but it is better seen as a coalition of two distinct ideologies: neo-liberalism and neoconservatism. While these share some common principles, they differ significantly in their views on society, morality and the role of the state. The key points of agreement and disagreement are summarised in Table 1.
Neo-liberals such as Ayn Rand (1905– 82) and Robert Nozick (1938–2002) advocated an atomistic society: a social structure that strongly prioritises the individual over any collective community. If one views society in this way, individuals are perceived as independent self-contained units that prefer self-interest over collective or communal ties. In an atomistic society, relationships and ties are typically perceived as being voluntary for the individual, rather than an obligation set out by the state. These ideas can be traced back to classical liberal John Locke, whose ideas were focused on the individual rights of men, and Immanuel Kant’s belief that an individual in society should not be treated as a resource.
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