Key Ideas Of Classical Liberalism - Society

Question 1

What is civil society

Answer 1

-society formed as humans naturally cooperative but self-serving in this cooperation
-civil society branches from the rule of law — social contract between the rulers + the ruled

Question 2

What are the three difference classical views of society

Answer 2

-the natural society
-the individualistic society
-the tolerant society

Question 3

What is the natural society

Answer 3

-society predates the state
-facilitated ‘natural rights’, ‘natural laws’ + ‘natural justice’
-life before the state was not ‘nasty, brutish + short’ like Hobbes states but instead it was agreeable + generally efficient

Question 4

What are the 3 key areas of natural society

Answer 4

-natural rights - right to life + property
-natural law - recognising ‘natural rights’ should not be infringed
-natural justice - any infringement of natural rights requires voluntary acts of compensation

Question 5

What is the individualistic society

Answer 5

-consistent with egotistical view of human nature - ‘legitimate society’ is where the max number of individuals can pursue self-realisation + self-determination
-e.g. Mill emphasised in 19th C that main job of liberal politicians was to create conditions needed for an individualistic society

Question 6

How did Wollstonecraft also articulate the same message as Mill

Answer 6

-claimed ‘natural rights’ applied to both genders noting such rights like right to property withheld from women of 18th C society

Question 7

What were some liberal thinkers concerned about regarding individuals with underrepresented characteristics

Answer 7

-cause of religious nonconformists 17th C England championed by Locke
-women 18th C England aspiring to property + education were championed by Wollstonecraft

Question 8

What does individualism involve

Answer 8

-maximising no. individuals achieving self-determination
-maximising no. individuals achieving self-realisation
-maximising no. individuals achieving self fulfilment

Question 9

What was the tolerant society

Answer 9

-liberal support for minorities relates to liberal commitment to a tolerant society
-Mill insisted the state should tolerate all actions + opinions unless they showed to violate harm principle

Question 10

What was the tolerant/harm principle

Answer 10

-views + actions we dislike should be tolerated as long as don’t harm liberty of others
-individuals free to do + say what they like as long as no harm to others