3A To what extent does Liberalism have a fear of the state?

Question 1

To what extent does Liberalism have a fear of the state?
Agreement

Answer 1

All liberals are suspicious of the state, seeing it as a ‘necessary evil’.
They believe it should maintain order, protect property and defend against external attacks (Locke) Hence all liberals are keen to see limits on state power.
• All liberals also fear the power of the state as a restriction on freedom of the individual and personal liberty, supporting the harm principle (JS Mill).
• All Liberals fear the state and believe its function should be limited by a Social Contract, to protect rights (Wollstonecraft) and liberties

Question 2

Disagreement

Answer 2

• Modern liberals began to re-evaluate the Classical Liberal view on the role of the state and this view is advanced by Rawls
• Modern Liberals advocate an enabling state rejecting the classical liberal approach of a minimal state.
• Modern and classical liberals fear the state to different degrees shown by their differing views on the role of the state in the economy.

Question 3

Disagreement

Answer 3

Modern and Classical Liberals fear the state to different degrees and subsequently disagree over the extent of the role of the state.
Modern Liberals came to see the state less as a threat to individual liberty but more as its guarantor (Rawls) (AO2), Thus we can see that there are clear differences in the extent Liberals fear the state (AO3)
• Modern and Classical Liberals fear the state to different degrees shown by the fact that Classical Liberals believe in a minimal state and modern liberals believe in an enabling state.
These differences are due to their respective views on individualism and freedom, with classical liberals believing in egoistical individualism and negative freedom and modern liberals believing in developmental individualism and positive freedom liberty (Rawls, Friedan). (
AO2) Thus we can see that Modern and classical Liberals fear the state in different ways. (AO3)
• Classical Liberals believe in a free market, laissez faire economy with a minimal welfare and role for the state whereas Modern liberals support a Keynesian approach alongside a welfare state, (Rawls) which means a larger role for the state in the economy. (
AO2) This shows a differing level of fear of state involvement.(AO3)

Question 4

Agreement AO2

Answer 4

The state is a necessary evil as it can limit individual choice and personal autonomy. John Locke’s view of the state had limits and the state had to be bound by contractual obligations. (
AO2) We can conclude that liberals base their fear of the state on the assumption that the state could be corrupted and corrupting if unlimited (AO3) •
Due to their fear of the state, Liberals have a mechanistic theory of the state, where the state must exist to benefit the people, not vice versa, and authority for the state comes from below. This is because Liberals fear that the unchecked power of a state can undermine freedom of the individual (JSMill). (AO2) We can conclude that all Liberals fear an unchecked state. (AO3
) • All Liberals accept the limits to the state based on Social Contract theory which requires individuals to give up the state authority over them in return for being protected from harm. Legitimate government can only be established by the consent of those governed (AO2) This shows liberalism’s clear position of fear of the state. (AO3)