6.2a Classical Liberalism

Question 1

Classical Liberalism

Answer 1

Classical liberalism supports a minimal state as the best way to protect individual liberties and is an earlier form of liberalism.

It was the ideology of the UK’s Liberal Party up until the beginning of the 20th Century.

Question 2

Minimal state

Answer 2

All liberals to some extent believe that the state is incompatible with individual liberty.

Classical liberals believe in the minimal state.

A ‘minimal’ state has enough institutions to keep order in society, such as law and order institutions, but has limited intervention in the economy and in the personal lives of individuals.

The minimal state and classical liberals support the idea of negative freedoms.

Question 3

Minimal state: economy

Answer 3

Minimal states support a laissez-faire economy.

The market is able to allocate scarce resources most efficiently.

State control of the market doesn’t allocate resources to those who value them most, and so the economy doesn’t run efficiently.

For example, the Liberal governments of the 19th century supported free trade and tariff reform.

Question 4

Minimal state: private space

Answer 4

A minimal state is one where the state does not infringe on the personal realm.

Individuals are entitled to private space without a moral code imposed by the state.

For example, the First Amendment to the US constitution allows freedom of speech and religion.

The state cannot infringe upon an individual’s right to speech, or religious practice, both activities which often take place in an individual’s personal realm.

Question 5

Freedom

Answer 5

Classical liberalism believes in negative freedom which is the idea that less state intervention is good so that individuals in society become self-reliant and take more responsibility for themselves.

Classic liberals are opposed to people becoming dependent on the state.