Dreams Quote by Roger Scruton
““We should not be surprised therefore if British conservative thinkers – notably Hume, Smith, Burke and Oakeshott – have tended to see no tension between a defence of the free market and a traditionalist vision of social order. For they have put their faith in the spontaneous limits placed on the market by the moral consensus of the community and have seen both the market and the constraints as the work of the same invisible hand. Maybe that moral consensus is now breaking down. But””
About This Quote
British conservatives historically saw free markets and traditional social order as aligned, trusting community moral consensus as a market regulator; this may now be eroding.
In simple terms: Free markets and tradition were once seen as compatible, but that belief may be weakening.
Key Takeaway
Re‑evaluate assumptions about market and social harmony.
Themes
politics
economics
tradition
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
political
critical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- community planning
- business ethics
- academic debate
Key Concepts
social contract
invisible hand
conservatism
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence shows the consensus is breaking?
- Can markets function without a shared moral framework?
A Different Perspective
The moral consensus may be fragmented, challenging the harmony premise.
