Ideology and Liberalism Flashcards
Systems of ideas with histories.
Ideologies
These aim to shape social change.
Ideologies
Destrutt de Tracy introduced this as a science in the 1790’s, it was meant to be a science.
Ideology
This historical event marked the birth of the age of ideologies, as people began to question the dominance of political and social ideas.
The French Revolution 1789
What are the 4 functions of an ideology?
- diagnosis/explanation: simplifying 2. evaluation: social and political phenomena - good or bad 3. orientation: identity, how one fits in the social world 4. prescription/program: what should be done and how based on conception of a good society/goal
Is democracy an ideology?
No it is an ideal, almost all ideologies claim to be democratic. It is an abstract and complex political theory.
Religion emphasizes god and the afterlife, while ideologies emphasize:
Life on this world.
This describes basic drives, motivations, limitations and possibilities. Each ideologies’ notion sets limits on what it considers politically possible, therefore this determines political program.
Human nature.
A fairly coherent set of ideas that explains and evaluates societal conditions, helps people understand their place in society and provides a program for social and political action.
Ideology
People who try to persuade others to accept their ideology.
Ideologues
True or false: all isms are ideologies.
False
Religion is concerned with the supernatural, the divine and the afterlife. Ideologies are concerned with:
The here and now
Every ideology claims to defend and extend this.
Freedom
To return to an earlier condition or restore. This meaning was changed to mean radical change and overthrowing the old order in 1789.
Revolution
A group that shares common birth separate from citizenship, historical and territorial communities of belief.
Nation
A sovereign, self governing political unit that expresses feelings and needs of a nation.
Nation-state
Against radical change, conservatives and republicans.
Right wing
For radical change.
Left wing
Ball and Dagger indicate this is a natural attempt to promote personal interests, our primary motive.
Competition
What is the agent for liberalism?
The individual
What are the obstacles to freedom for liberals?
Social and legal barriers, social customs, poverty, race, sexual prejudice, ignorance
What is the goal for liberals?
To live as one chooses
People should obey those in power if they protect the individual, this is the reason for government: who said it?
Hobbes
Individuals are equal, and have a natural right to be free, but a government is created to protect their interests: who said it?
Hobbes
As written in his Toleration Act, it is wrong for governments to force subjects to conform to religion, because it is private: who said it?
Locke
According to Locke, all religious belief should be tolerated, except if it threatens public order like these 2 do:
Catholicism and atheism
If a government violates rights you can overthrow them, this is the right of revolution: who said it?
Locke
True or false: Locke supported absolute government
False. To Locke, only a limited or constitutional government was acceptable.
Government is a necessary evil: who said it?
Paine
Freedom to liberals means freedom from this:
Government interference
Liberals wanted to replace religious conformity with ______, aristocratic privilege with _______, absolute monarchy with _______.
Tolerance, equality of opportunity, constitutional government.
What are the 4 government functions according to liberals?
- defense
- to promote justice
- to maintain order
- to provide public works
All liberals aim to promote this.
Individual liberty
This is the fundamental value of liberalism.
Equality
What are Brian Barry’s 3 things that characterize the development of liberal states?
- religious toleration - instead of the requirement of conformity
- freedom of the press - recognition of and insurance for
- abolition of servile social status - getting rid of distinctions that ensure people are born into inferior, repressed statuses
What were Brian Barry’s 3 liberal ideas?
- no religious dogma be be reasonably held with certainty
- every doctrine should be open to critical scrutiny, you should question received views and there should be a free market of ideas
- the fundamental equality of all human beings - inequality is an artifact
According to liberal views on human nature, we are fundamentally ______ and _______ _______. There should be free competition and equal opportunity to enjoy freedom and succeed.
Rational, self interested
In Medieval Europe, the state was politically absolutist. The Roman Catholic Church upheld orthodoxy, which kings enforced.This meant that there was _______ _______.
Religious conformity
Fixed at birth, earthly inequality is compatible with Christian equality.
Ascribed status
The serfs were the agricultural labourerers who worked the land for a lord in exchange for protection in this system.
Feudalism
Early liberals favoured this instead of ascribed status.
Achieved status
During the Protestant Reformation, he argued against church corruption, especially indulgences.
Martin Luther
He was against priestly authority, and rejected the idea that you needed to go through church institutions to be saved, instead, we all have a direct relationship with God.
Martin Luther
He rejected the old idea of tradition and ritual.
Martin Luther
Luther and Calvin supposed this idea, and encouraged everyone to obey earthly authority because everyone is subject to government authority.
Non-resistance
Why did Luther and Calvin believe the state was needed?
As a threat/punishment for those who disobey. They are God’s representatives on Earth.
Calvinists reserve this right if the ruler denies people free exercise of religion.
The right overthrow
In his book Leviathan, Hobbes prioritized the _______ _______ of individuals in deciding how or why to set up institutions.
Natural equality
Hobbes supported government created with consent, so his considered a:
Protoliberal
Hobbes denied natural subordination, but was for _______, because he believed any state was better than no state.
Absolutism
Locke’s natural rights:
Private property and freedom
The Bill of Rights 1688 allowed freedom of ________ _________ for all dissenters.
Religious worship
He influenced liberalism in America and the Declaration of Independence.
Locke
In his book Common Sense, he illustrated the liberal idea that a legitimate government protects our natural rights.
Paine
Equality, basic rights, consent of government, failed government should be abolished, all men are created equal are themes of this:
The Declaration of Independence
Emphasizes civic virtue, corruption of people and the need to encourage political participation as a part of self government.
Republicanism
This document combined liberal ideas of tolerance, equal opportunity, constitutional government, and republican ideas of fraternity, civic virtue, and taking control of our government.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Capitalism rejects this because it emphasizes the need for tariffs, monopolies, and restraints on trade. Free trade benefits everyone.
Mercantilism
This ideology calls for freedom to engage in economic opportunity.
Capitalism
What is the Fable of the Bees?
A discussion on the freedom to pursue one’s economic interests.
Capitalists believe that private vices generate:
Public benefits. The promotion of one’s own interests produces the best outcome.
The best way to promote wealth and allow for economic growth is to leave market factors to decide for themselves, using this system, according to physiocrats.
Laissez-faire
Adam Smith thought this to be fair and efficient. He rejected restraints on trade.
Competition
According to capitalism, this benefits everyone, because it enables businesses and countries to specialize, and allows for the division of labour which creates efficiency and economies of scale, thus promoting utility.
Free trade
It benefits the worst off by expanding markets and reducing prices of basic goods. It increases standard of living.
Commerce
It promotes international peace because trade weakens social antagonism (we think of everyone as a potential trading partner).
Commerce
They are conducive to order and good government, by helping us to overcome servile dependency. They develop good character.
Free markets
They foster self reliance because individuals can make themselves better off by their own efforts.
Free markets
According to Smith, the government must perform these three functions to maintain peace:
- defend the country against attack - security
- protect property rights and maintain order
- provide public education and the infrastructure needed to do business
Smith opposed trade barriers, but supported this to benefit the poor.
Taxation
Smith supported this type of taxation to have redistributive effects.
Progressive taxation. The rich are taxed at higher rates than the poor.
What were the two prevailing views about the poor?
The hierarchical notion that they are poor because that’s where they deserve to be and the condescending Christian notion that we should be compassionate/charitable and respond to their distress.
How did Smith feel about poor people?
He believed that they were industrious, equally capable and entitled to their fair share of equal goods. All individuals should be given the opportunity to succeed.
Bentham argued for this type of system, because individuals are the best judges of their own interests, and the best way to maximize happiness is through unrestricted free markets.
Laissez-faire
Mill was concerned with this threat in commercial society.
Public opinion/the tyranny of the majority
He emphasized that the earth belongs to us all equally, and democracy is also a value economically, so we should participate in the same way.
Mill
Spencer believed that a minimal state should protect people from the two things:
Force and fraud
He thought that welfare programs were ineffective and corrupt.
Spencer
He invented the survival of the fittest: the struggle for survival within nature. The strongest people deserve to survive, the weakest people deserve to die. Political programs should not interfere with this.
Spencer
True or false: Spencer believed there should be state aid to the poor. If false, explain.
False. Spencer believed they were unfit to survive, deserved to be poor, and their death would end poverty, society is too complex to be controlled that way, there are many unintended consequences, and we shouldn’t override property rights through taxation, redistribution is unjust.
According to Green, the state can advance liberty by promoting these. The government has an enabling role to promote freedom .
Equal opportunities
What were TH Green’s 2 concepts of freedom?
- negative freedom - the absence of restraint, non interference
- positive freedom - the actual ability to do something worth doing
According to Green, what were the main obstacles to freedom?
Poverty, ignorance, prejudice, sickness.
According to Green, this should try to ensure people can overcome obstacles.
Welfare liberalism
Poor relief, public schools and hospitals and the regulation of working conditions are ways Green thinks government can promote this.
Freedom
Rawls emphasized these: freedom of conscience, religion, association, civil and political rights, or in other words:
Equal basic liberties
True or false: Rawls thought that wealth inequality is justified if everyone pays an equal amount of taxes. If false, explain.
False. It is justified only if it benefits the worst off.
According to Nozick, this acts as a rights protection agency, permitting only capitalist acts between consenting adults, and does nothing but protect against the two things:
Minimal state, force and fraud
True or false: Nozick believed that there was one liberal conception of what is is to live a good human life, the state should encourage individuals to follow it. If false, explain.
False. There are a range of conceptions, and the state should allow individuals to design their own lives/pursue their conception of the good as long as they don’t harm anyone else (utopian liberalism).
Liberals emphasize separation of these two political factions to protect physical security, property, and life.
The church and state
Liberals emphasize these two types of rights as priorities, basic rights are definitive.
Civil and political
Liberals believe the state should be ______ in reason and justification between conceptions of the good.
Neutral
Liberals believe there is a permanent _______ of modern society. There is no way we will ever agree in a free society, except through force.
Pluralism
Liberals believe _______ and ________ by the state is counter productive, we should be suspicious of both.
Coercion and paternalism
According to liberalism, there should be a peaceful co-existence between _______ and respect for ________.
Toleration, autonomy
This type of democracy with this type of voting is necessary to remove the Tyranny of the Majority, according to Mill.
Representative democracy, plural voting
Welfare liberalism encourages this type of system. Competition is good but not at the expense to individual welfare.
Capitalist
US government spending on public works.
Priming the pump
The original welfare state was created by:
Otto Von Bismarck
Nozick claims that taxation is on par with:
Forced labour
Promotes liberty and equal opportunity, the state is a threat to individual freedom and and an unnecessary evil.
Libertarian anarchism
According to communitarians, rights need to be balanced with these to maintain social order.
Responsibilities
What is the explanation for liberalism as an ideology?
Individualistic. We make social choices that determine social conditions.
What is the evaluation for liberalism as an ideology?
Conditions are goods if the individual is free, not harming others, and there is equality of opportunity.
What is the orientation for liberalism as an ideology?
Humans have a set of shared characteristics - we are rational, self-interested, etc. but the emphasis is on individual not group identity.
What is the program for liberalism as an ideology?
Remove obstacles such as ascribed status, economic privilege, etc. to achieve freedom.
Liberal toleration limits. Liberties are protected when convenient to the state.
Coda 1
A new new ideal. Deregulation, privatization and the moral hazard.
Coda 2
