Classical Liberalism Flashcards
How do Classical liberals understand the idea of freedom?
Saw freedom as being free from outside interference- negative freedom
What is John Stuart Mills “harm principle”?
People can do what they want if it does not bring harm to others
Distinguish between “self regarding” and “other regarding” actions
Why did milk argue that self and other regarding actions should be treated differently?
Self- actions that don’t impact the freedom of others, state interference is not justifiable
Other- actions that affect others, state interference is justifiable
What are negative rights?
Rights that can’t be taken off you
The right not to have others interfere with your actions
Why does milk believe that freedom of speech was so important?
New ideas come out with free speech and bad ideas will be challenged
What is egoistical individualism?
Sees individuals as primarily concerned with pursuing their own interest, owing little/ nothing to society
Why are classical liberals sauce to have had an atomistic view of society?
The main component of society is the individual and that these individuals are self-interested, equal and rational
What is a minimal/ night- watchman state?
Standing watch like a guard to enforce property rights, rather than providing welfare and public services
What is laissez-faire economics?
Classical liberals wanted few regulations/ taxes
As they all limited negative freedom
What has lockes philosophy become associated with?
Any revolutions that rejected absolute monarchical power. Inspired American revolution 1775
He insisted natural rights, separation of powers and principle of government by consent
What did Mary Wollstonecraft argued about women and liberalism?
18th century society could only view women as emotional creatures
Observed that instead of developing their individual potential, they contrived to “keep women in a state listless inactivity and stupid acquiescence”
What did Wollstonecraft argue about men and women and formal education?
Men and women required formal education to release innate powers of reason- during time arguments were considered radical
What is negative liberty?
Notion of freedom that involves individuals being left alone to pursue their destiny. Any attempt to interfere w individual actions may therefore be judged on infringement of liberty
What was a liberal minimal state?
State that reflected concept of “negative liberty” by minimising state activities
Example- legislating and taxing as infrequently as possible
What does Thomas Jefferson say regarding government ?
“The government that is best is that which governs least….when government grows, our liberty withers”
What does Locke say regarding the traditional idea that state was a part of gods creation?
rejected it, rejected monarchical state and rule.
true state would be one created by man king to serve interests of mankind and arise only from the consent of those who who would be governed by it.
what did Locke believe about human nature?
believed it was guided by rationalism
also believed that state of nature was to be underpinned by by “Natural laws”
example- the right to property
What did Locke believe about the “state of law”?
only legitimate if it respected natural rights and laws, ensuring that individuals living under laws were never consistently worse of than they had been in state of nature
What would Locke’s ideal state reflect?
the principle that its citizens had voluntarily consented to accept that states ruling in return for the state improving their situation ( later known as social contract theory)
according to Locke, what must the state embody due to its “contractual” nature?
principle of limited government- limited to always representing the interests of the governed and always requiring the consent of the governed
What would the states limited character be confirmed by?- Locke
its separation of powers
example- the executive and legislative branches of the state would be separate while its lawmakers would be separated from its law enforcers
What was Wollstonecraft’s main belief on human nature?
optimistic view of human nature and the assumption that it was guided by reason should apply to all humans male and female
What did Wollstonecraft say restricted women and how is this shown?
society and state imply women were not rational and thus denied individual freedom and formal equality
example- women rarely allowed land ownership or employment
What restriction was placed upon women That Wollstonecraft said had significance to Locke’s works?
women could not vote for those who governed them- blatant violation of “government by consent”
What did Wollstonecraft believe should replace the monarchical state?
a republican state, involving constitutional defence of al individual rights. such equality should be according to both men and women
what was John Stuart Mills developmental individualism?
focus on what individuals could become rather than what they had to become, Mill strongly emphasising value of education within liberal society
What did John Stuart Mill say about government by consent?
government by consent would be compromised if the wishes of some individual citizens overwhelmed- “tyranny of government”
