Core ideas- Liberalism Flashcards
liberalism background
- Reformation (15th-16th centuries): Rejected the need for priests to communicate with God; Protestants emphasized direct communication, making religion more individualistic.
- Enlightenment: Shifted away from religious explanations of society, favoring scientific reasoning.
Principles of Liberalism
- individualism
- the state
- rationalism
- equality
Individualism
- The individual is more important than the state
- Individuals are self-aware and free to make their own decisions
The State
- Early liberals opposed state power, seeing it as a threat to freedom and individualism.
- Believed the state should have minimal involvement in people’s lives.
- However, the state is needed to prevent disorder and protect the poor.
- Modern liberals support an enabling state with limited government.
Rationalism
- Humans guided by reason rather than emotion.
- need to be free to make decisions about their own interests.
- Rationalism creates a progressive society as people move to develop on the society that already exists.
Equality
Difference in beliefs:
- Equality of opportunity: everyone should have the same chance to make the best of themselves within society.
- Social inequality: some inequality is acceptable as people have different talents which need to be rewarded
Classical Liberalism
- Freedom: Negative freedom to allow the individual the freedom to pursue their own rational self interest.
- The state: A minimal state to protect rights and freedoms, not to get involved in people’s private lives.
- Society: Natural society existed before the state and was one of peace, so the state is not necessary.
- The economy: Free-market capitalism and private property, with no state intervention.
Key thinkers: John Locke, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill
Tensions within liberals
Freedom:
- Classical liberals advocate for negative freedom
- Modern liberals believe in positive freedom
The state:
- Classical liberals believe that the state should be minimal in its role.
- Modern liberals believe in an enabling state that should help people to achieve their potential.
Economy:
- Classical liberals endorse laissez-faire capitalism which creates competition in the market
- Modern liberals push more for Keynesian economics, which helps to bring the poorest in society up in order to achieve their freedom
Modern Liberalism
- Freedom: Positive freedom to allow the individual be the best that they can be.
- The state: An enabling state to promote positive freedom through state intervention in the economy.
- Society: Modern capitalist society was restricting the positive freedom of many, so managing capitalism from the state.
- The economy: Keynesian economics to allow people to navigate the highs and lows of capitalism, and advocated for private property.
Key thinkers: John Stuart Mill, John Rawls
positive freedom
- freedom to to act on own will to achieve self determined goals
There IS agreement between modern and classical liberals
- both advocate for freedom and tolerance
- both believe capitalism is the best economic system
- both optimistic of human nature
negative freedom
the absence of external constraints in society meaning one is free to act without being hindered by other oppressive forces
There ISNT agreement between modern and classical liberals
- both disagree on how to achieve freedom, positive vs negative
- classical= laissez faire modern= Keynesian
- disagree on the role of the state
Liberal Key Thinkers
- John Locke (1632–1704)
- John Stuart Mill (1806–73)
- Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–97)
John Locke
-17th century philosopher
- people voluntarily agree to form a government that protects their natural rights.
- argued that people are free, equal and rational
- legitimacy of the state depends on the consent of the governed, and that people have the right to overthrow a government that violates their rights.
