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Politics Paper 1 > 5.1 Liberalism core ideas > Flashcards

5.1 Liberalism core ideas Flashcards

1
Q

6

List the core principles of liberalism

A
  • individualism
  • freedom/liberty
  • state
  • rationalism
  • equality/social justice
  • liberal democracy
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2
Q

5

Describe unity on individualism among liberals

A
  • JSM harm principle (modern included mental + psychological harm)
  • Tolerance
  • Freedom of speech
  • All individuals have equal worth
  • Distaste for excessive government power
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3
Q

4

Describe classical liberal views on individualism

A
  • Preservation of individual rights and freedoms is above any claims by state or groupings within societies
  • Egotistical individualism
  • Foundational equality to facilitate individualism
  • MW and JSM argued that women should be recognised as rational and equal individuals within economy and society
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4
Q

3

Describe egotistical individualism

A
  • individual freedom is associated with rational self-interest and self-reliance
  • Consequently advocate minimal state
  • Locke and JSM perceived individuals as capable of intellectually informed ideas, but self-interested and mutually indifferent to one another
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5
Q

5

Describe modern liberal views on individualism

A
  • Argues that classical liberalism underplays inequality within society
  • Criticises egotistical individualism
  • Concept of individual autonomy is overstated as some have distinct advantage in society
  • Rawls asserted that one’s particular circumstance (e.g. gender, class, intellectuality) were of huge importance in determining whether individual thrived in society
  • Developmental individualism
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6
Q

4

Describe developmental individualism

A
  • Individual freedom linked to humans flourishing in society
  • Advocates state intervention in society
  • Forms a more responsible form of individualism that prioritises common good over personal gain
  • Would ensure equality of opportunity to facilitate individualism for all
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7
Q

2

What did different key thinkers focus on in relation to tolerance

A
  • JSM focused on respecting alternative religious and political views
  • Wollonstonecraft/Friedan argued for tolerance of men towards women to mitigate sexual discrimination within society
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8
Q

5

Describe unity on freedom/liberty among liberals

A
  • All individuals have freedom as natural right
  • social contract
  • Individual rights should only apply to rational and responsible human beings i.e children are not entitled to be in possession of full rights
  • Informs support of capitalist economy
  • Individuals hold freedom to join political organisation of choice provided they do not prove threat to others
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9
Q

3

Describe the link between the social contract and freedom

A
  • Authoritarian governments that infringe freedom are illegitimate
  • Social contract should be formed where individuals consent to rule
  • Therefore liberty connected to law
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10
Q

4

Describe classical liberal views on freedom/liberty

A
  • Negative freedom
  • Harm principle
  • State needed to mediate between competing indivduals to protect liberty, property rights and prevent breach of contract (‘life, liberty and property’)
  • Support laissez-faire capitalism
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11
Q

2

Describe negative freedom

A
  • Absence of external constraints by state in society as well as no interference in the private sphere
  • Requires legislation to ensure freedom from harm or discrimination
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12
Q

5

Describe modern liberal views on freedom/liberty

A
  • Positive freedom
  • Keynesian economics
  • Agree on harm principle, but differ on definition
  • Advocate enabling state to permit equality of opportunity and meritocracy
  • Friedan argued gender discrimination restricted liberty of women
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13
Q

3

Describe positive freedom

A
  • Links freedom to personal fulfilment and realisation of potential
  • Enabling state to play positive interventionist role to assist individuals
  • e.g. state-funded education system
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14
Q

5

Describe unity on rationalism among liberals

A
  • All subscribed to Enlightenment concept that humans are rational creatures capable of reason and logic
  • Human behaviour not shaped by superstition or religious views - guided by own free will
  • Positive view of human nature
  • Humans naturally seek happiness
  • Supports progressive society → mistakes leads to self-development → promotes wider social advancement
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15
Q

6

What did all liberals advocate as a result of rationalism

A
  • Individuals should be entrusted with as much freedom as possible
  • Freedom of speech
  • Reasoned debate of ideas to peacefully develop human knowledge
  • War is last consequence
  • Freedom of movement for self-development
  • Mechanist theory of state - social contract
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16
Q

4

What did classical liberals advocate as a result of rationalism?

A
  • Constitutional/representative government
  • Negative freedom
  • Egotistical individualism
  • Laissez-faire free-market capitalism
17
Q

5

What did modern liberals advocate as a result of rationalism?

A
  • Positive freedom
  • Developmental individualism
  • JSM argued for universal education
  • Rawls theory of justice
  • Keynesian economics
18
Q

4

Describe unity on equality/social justice among liberals

A
  • Formal equality - no human should be given higher social status above others
  • As such should be treated impartially and fairly by society
  • Equality promotes liberty due to rationalism
  • Foundational equality (though modern liberals argued this was not sufficient)
19
Q

4

Describe classical liberal views on equality/social justice

A
  • Foundational equality - born with equal rights
  • Locke asserted these rights were natural and state should not encroach upon them
  • Largely ignored gender and racial inequality
  • Economic equality through laissez-faire system
20
Q

2

How did some classical liberal key thinkers aim to tackle gender inequality?

A
  • MW argued that women were denied formal equality in terms of property ownership, political representation, workplace etc
  • JSM proposed female suffrage
21
Q

3

Describe modern liberal views on equality/social justice

A
  • Foundational equality not sufficient to achieve equality of opportunity
  • Social justice requires access to state-sponsored welfare system encompassing healthcare, education, min wage, etc
  • Modern liberals champion minority rights, including groups yet to emerge at time of Rawls and Friedan (e.g. trans)
22
Q

3

Describe modern liberal key thinkers’ views on equality/social justice (Friedan)

A
  • Friedan saw state as vehicle to counter dominant patriarchal beliefs
  • Advocated further economic and legal parity in workplace to set women free
  • Argued state should provide benefits for single, divorced or widowed mothers
23
Q

2

Describe modern liberal key thinkers’ views on equality/social justice (Rawls)

A
  • Rawls’ theory of justice
  • Rawls married social justice with difference principle
24
Q

7

Describe unity on liberal democracy theory

A
  • Democracy balances will of people
  • Frequent, free elections
  • Social contract is the only legitimate basis for authority
  • Mechanist theory
  • Rule of law
  • Neutral state - act as umpire, not favour one group
  • Political and civil equality for all citizens (oppose autocracies)
25
Q

4

Describe classical liberal views on liberal democracy

A
  • Fearful of ‘mob rule’ and ‘tyranny of majority’
  • RD over DD
  • Minimal government with checks and balances
  • Struggle with collective concepts such as common good as views society as atomistic
26
Q

3

Describe classical liberal views on RD and DD

A
  • Oppose DD as it stifles individualism as it values majority
  • Prefer RD with limited electorate
  • Support Electoral College remains filter against ‘tyranny of majority’
27
Q

2

Describe classical liberal views on the franchise

A
  • Limited suffrage to educated, property-owning individuals
  • Would represent everyone’s interests
28
Q

2

What did JSM advocate for the size of the electorate

A
  • In earlier writings, argued for plural votes for educated and wealthy to prevent ‘tyranny of the majority’
  • In later writings, accepted expanded electorate (e.g. female suffrage), with condition of universal education first being implemented
29
Q

3

Describe modern liberal views on liberal democracy

A
  • Criticised classical liberal concept of democracy as allowing establishment to have greater power than ordinary citizen
  • Rawls and Friedan favoured universal suffrage to combat ‘tyranny of the majority’ and champion interests of minority groups
  • Developmental democracy - greater political participation leads to self-development to further individualism
30
Q

3

Describe how classical liberals proposed organising the state

A
  • Limiting power
  • Limiting jurisdiction
  • Limiting the electorate
31
Q

3

How did classical liberals propose limiting the power of the state?

A
  • Separation of powers and checks and balances
  • Minimal state
  • Based upon Locke’s principle of ‘government by consent’ and regular elections
32
Q

3 - (0) (0) (3)

How did classical liberals propose limiting the jurisdiction of the state?

A
  • Minimal state operates under rule of law
  • All citizens would enjoy foundational equality
  • State would:
    • protect property rights
    • enforce legal contracts through law
    • regulate monopoly power that operated against interests of consumers

Politics Paper 1 (27 decks)

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