Why Conservatives Should Support The Free Market

In the report, the author first briefly discusses the ideas of Burke, Hume and Menger, moving on to Hayek and his ambivalent attitude towards conservatism and then turning to the ideas and arguments of two conservative British philosophers, Michael Oakeshott and Sir Roger Scruton. In the chapters that follow, he analyses the most relevant conservative objections to economic liberalism and try to show how they can be met, and accommodated, by conservative liberalism. The main conclusion of this study is that it is perfectly coherent to be both a social conservative, in favour of stability, family values and patriotism, and an economic liberal, supporting free trade and the market process.