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Politics: Political Ideologies > Core Ideas of Liberalism > Flashcards

Core Ideas of Liberalism Flashcards

1
Q

Who first expressed the liberal view on human nature?

A

John Locke

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2
Q

Who later redefined Locke’s view on human nature?

A

John Stuart “J.S” Mill

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3
Q

What did the pre-enlightenment view of human nature strongly link with?

A

The Doctrine of Origin Sin

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4
Q

What was the Doctrine of Original Sin?

A

A religious doctrine in Christianity
It held that mankind were deeply flawed and imperfect and the one’s only hope was to acknowledge these imperfections and pray for the grace of God

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5
Q

How did liberalism view the Doctrine of Original Sin and pre-enlightenment beliefs?

A

Liberalism rejected them and instead offered a more optimistic view on human nature

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6
Q

At the heart of this optimistic view, what do liberals believe to guide individuals?

A

Reason and rationalism which can then be used further to seek answers for all kind of problems

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7
Q

What does liberalism argue about human nature?

A

Human nature has a huge capacity to bring about progress and human happiness

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8
Q

Why do liberals believe human nature has a huge capacity?

A

They believe that we have the ability to shape our destiny, plan our own future and the outcome it might have, rather than just accepting what life offers and regarding it as the “will of God” or “fate”

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9
Q

State the liberalist view of human problems

A

They are just challenges awaiting reasoned solutions and that individuals who really want something, will gain through nothing but reason and determinations

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10
Q

How would liberals describe individuals?

A

Naturally drawn towards independent situations, self-seeking and self-serving hence their relation with egotistical individualism

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11
Q

What is egotistical individualism?

A

A belief that human beings are naturally drawn to the advancement of their own, selfish interests and pursuit of happiness

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12
Q

What can egotistical individualism lead to?

A

Conflict or gross insensitivity

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13
Q

How do liberals try to prevent conflict and gross insensitivity?

A

Mankinds rationality and virtue prevents destructive selfishness.
Liberals claim that they are both reasonable and egotistical to keep tensions down

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14
Q

What is the natural condition of human nature?

A

One of self-aware individuals that live in peace, harmony and mutual understanding

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15
Q

According to Thomas Hobbes, what could society not exist without?

A

Human nature is so brutally selfish that no society could exist until human nature is restrained by strong, formal authority (a state)

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16
Q

How did John Locke view society?

A

He offered a different view with “natural society” with “natural laws” and therefore natural rights which shows individualism

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17
Q

What did J.S Mill argue about society?

A

Its purpose is to facilitate individualism
Each individual has a unique personality, driven by egotistical, driven by a wish to fulfil our potential and desire to be individual.
Everyone seeks freedom to live one’s life in a way that maximises self-reliance and self-fullfillment.

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18
Q

What is the the “default setting” of any society for liberals?

A

A focus upon individual freedom and that any society which seeks to deny individualism is dysfunctional

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19
Q

Why is the right to property important in a society for liberals?

A

It’s seen as the tangible expression of an individual within society

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20
Q

How do later liberals view the importance of property within a state?

A

Later liberals such as J.S Mill views the right to property as a “prism” through which individuals develop their potential, providing an opportunity for men and women to nuture their taste and judgement

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21
Q

How does the liberalist view of property relate to their view of the economy?

A

It is inevitable that liberalism should support an economy that puts private property at the heart of all economic arrangements

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22
Q

What has liberalism always been associated with economically?

A

Private enterprise and ownership of the economy

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23
Q

What is economic liberalism?

A

The liberal aspect of capitalism stems from private property which was considered a “natural right”, individualistic and ultimate benefit to all.

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24
Q

What do liberals defend?

A

A market-based economy

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25
Q

What did Adam Smith do when making a case for free-market economics?

A

He asserted that obstacles to free trade were swept away, the “invisible hand” of market forces would guide traders towards success, and wealth would be shared amongst everyone, creating the “wealth of nations”.

26
Q

What are the principles of a liberalist state?

A

Government by consent
Promotion of natural rights
Promotion of tolerance
Meritocracy
Equality of Opportunity

27
Q

According to liberals, who is the enemy of individualism?

A

The state as a certain kind of state is needed for individualism to work

28
Q

What does liberalism still accept despite having an optimistic view on human nature?

A

Within the state of nature, there would’ve been clashes of interests between individuals pursuing their own agendas

29
Q

What is the state of nature?

A

A philosophical device used to justify the different types of political state they were proposing.

30
Q

How did John Locke view the state of nature?

A

Locke believes in the state of nature but is more optimistic than Hobbes.
He argued that there are natural rights, liberties and laws.
This means that the state of nature could’ve led to a peaceful and civilised life

31
Q

How did Thomas Hobbes view the state of nature?

A

He believed that individuals are selfish, greedy and power seeking.
The state of nature was unending civil war.
This would lead to a brutal poor nasty and solitary life

32
Q

What were later liberals keen to show in the kind of state they wanted?

A

Wider and grander principles which were developed into England’s bill of rights in 1689 and Amercian constitution of 1789

33
Q

Why does liberalism reject the “traditional” state?

A

They renounce the sort of state in which power is concentrated in the hands of one individual and power is exercised randomly.
The liberal state also rejects the “divine right” of kings and the belief it’s “will of God”

34
Q

What doctrine would the liberal state replace the divine right of kings with?

A

Government by consent

35
Q

What is “government by consent”?

A

The belief that the legitimate state would only interfere in people’s affairs as long as they have volunteered. Governments must have consent of the governed

36
Q

What did Locke comment about “government by consent”?

A

“Government should always be the servant, not master of the people”

37
Q

What can the government by consent be linked with?

A

The social contract

38
Q

What is the social contract?

A

The idea that there should be a deal between the government and its people.
It states that in return for individuals submitting to the state’s laws, the governed would be guaranteed certain privileges such as protection and property

39
Q

What is the rational reason to submit to the state?

A

If only it respected and promoted natural rights, ensuring they were more safe and easily exercised than the state of nature

40
Q

Why is the promotion of natural rights important to liberals?

A

Liberals have always thought that “natural rights” enabled self-realisation and self-determination

41
Q

What is the liberal state also concerned to do?

A

Ensure tolerance towards all those who exercise their natural rights

42
Q

Who greatly supported the promotion of tolerance?

A

French philosopher, Voltaire

43
Q

What did Voltaire famously say?

A

“I detest what you say but will, unto death, defend your right to say it”

44
Q

What did John Stuart Mill come up with in terms of tolerance within the state?

A

The Harm Principle

45
Q

What is the Harm Principle?

A

The belief that all actions and opinions should be tolerated unless it harms the freedoms of others

46
Q

Who sought to extend tolerance to minorities and how?

A

Betty Friedan campaigned for the state to improve the lot of individuals who were hindered by ethnicity, sexuality or gender

47
Q

What is a meritocracy?

A

The belief that political power should be exercised only by those who prove themselves worthy of it

48
Q

How does the meritocratic liberal state oppose the traditional state?

A

It rejects the fact that power was hereditary and aristocratic

49
Q

Who supported the meritocratic liberal state?

A

Thomas Paine

50
Q

What did Thomas Paine claim about hereditary rule?

A

It was “beyond equity, beyond reason and beyond wisdom”

51
Q

What did Locke, Mill and other liberal thinkers view aristocracy?

A

They believed it had no place in a meritocratic liberal state

52
Q

What is foundational equality?

A

The liberal belief that every individual is born equal, with same equal natural rights. Therefore such individuals are entitled to legal equality meaning equality before the law

53
Q

Why is it important for liberals to have foundational equality?

A

All individuals must have equal opportunity to develop their potential and achieve control of the own lives.
However if an individual fails to fulfil their potential, they should take responsibility and not attribute it to the state

54
Q

Why is Justice important for liberals?

A

It treats individuals fairly or without regard to their identity

55
Q

For liberals, what are the 3 features that a state must embody?

A

Constitutional/limited government
Fragmented government
Formal equality

56
Q

What is meant by a constitutional/limited government?

A

The government is restricted in terms of how it can act, by a constitution’s formal rules and procedures.
Opposite to arbitrary rule as practiced in the medieval periods

57
Q

What are the 2 limitations on a liberal limited government?

A

Governments must govern according to prearranged rules and procedures rather than a random fashion.
A liberal government is designed to prevent governments from eroding the natural rights of their citizens

58
Q

What is a fragmented government?

A

A government in which it’s power is dispersed between states which goes against pre-enlightenment beliefs in which all the power is concentrated in the monarchy

59
Q

What did Lord Acton say that supports the idea of a fragmented government?

A

“Power tends to corrupt… and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely”

60
Q

How does a fragmented government reflect the liberal belief of rationalism in mankind?

A

If individuals are generally reasonable and inclined to self-determination, it seems logical to empower as many people as possible om the exercise of a state’s function

61
Q

How does a fragmented government link to John Locke?

A

It introduces a series of “checks and balances” designed to avoid power being concentrated and since then such checks and balances have became more popular.

62
Q

What is meant by formal equality?

A

All individuals have the same legal and political rights in society which places significant emphasis on the rule of law (everyone is under the same laws)

Politics: Political Ideologies (4 decks)

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