Liberalism Flashcards
How did liberalism emerge?
What does it reflect?
1) Emerged in a reaction to the rule of monarchies and aristocratic privilege in the early modern world.
2) Reflects the views of the educated middle class who sought to better themselves.
3) Part of the enlightenment.
What is individualism? Which key thinkers stress this belief?
1) The importance of the individual over a social group or collective body.
2) Immanuel Kant argued that individuals should not be treated as instruments to achieve a particular goal, but should be regarded as possessing their own intrinsic value.
What are the different types of individualism?
1) ‘Egoistical individualism’- the view that people are essentially self-seeking and self reliant. Minimises the importance of society.
2) Developmental individualism- plays down the pursuit of self interest and has been used to justify state intervention in society to help the disadvantaged.
What is tolerance?
1) One of the natural rights that liberals believe everyone should have.
2) Originally referred to tolerance of different religious beliefs, but today has been extended to tolerance of stuff such as LGBT rights, certain ethnic minorities etc.
What is the most important value for liberals? What did it stem from?
1) Freedom is the most important of all liberal values.
2) Early liberals objected the way in which authoritarian governments claimed a right to take decisions on behalf of people and attempted to regulate their behaviour.
How does the concept of utilitarianism link to liberty? (Jeremy Benthem)
1) Jeremy Bentham maintained that each individual can decide what is in his/her own interests.
2) Argued that human actions are motivated by the desire to attain pleasure and avoid pain.
3) Government should not prevent people from doing what they choose unless their actions threaten others’ ability to do the same for themselves.
4) Mechanistic view of human behaviour. Would lead to ‘the greatest happiness for the greatest number’.
Explain John Stuart Mill and negative freedom.
1) John Stuart Mill came to see the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain as too simplistic.
2) Negative freedom: the idea that individuals should only be subject to external restraint when their actions potentially affect others, not when their actions affect only themselves.
What is the opposite of negative freedom?
1) Positive freedom: individuals should be able to control their own destiny, develop personal talents and achieve self-fulfilment. Some limited state intervention was necessary to make this possible.
What is the liberalist view on the state?
1) Liberals accept that the state is needed to avert disorder and to protect the vulnerable from exploitation.
2) Yet, they mistrust power because they believe that humans are self seeking, so may use any position of power to pursue their own interests, probably at the expense of others.
3) Liberals oppose the concentration of political power.
What do liberals argue for regarding the state?
1) Argue for limited government, with checks and balances on the exercise of power. They support the idea of constitutionalism, due to the corrupting nature of power.
2) Liberals also support devolution from central government to regional bodies. Occurred in the UK in the late 90s. An alternative to devolution would be federalism eg: USA or Brazil.
What do liberals believe economically speaking regarding the state?
1) Liberals of the 18th and 19th century believed in laissez-faire capitalism.
Explain the liberalist belief in rationalism.
1) Belief in human reason. Individuals should be free to exercise their judgement about their own interests without being needed to be guided by external authorities.
2) People will not always make correct decisions, but it is better for them to take responsibility for themselves than to take instruction from above.
3) Faith in reason- linked to idea of a progressive society.
How has rationalism been put into action?
1) Liberals favour reasoned debate and discussion to resolve disputes.
2) In international relations, liberals view war as a last resort. In the early 20th century liberals were at the forefront of campaigns in support of the League of Nations.
3) Many liberals support the EU.
Describe the liberalist belief in equality and social justice.
1) Liberals place emphasis on equality of opportunity. Accepting different outcomes because people have different abilities and potential.
2) Foundational equality- a belief in formal equality where individuals should enjoy the same legal and political rights in society.
3) Belief in a meritocracy: a society based on ability and hard work. Eg: Gladstone introduced competitive examinations for the civil service, bringing an end to making appointments on the basis of aristocratic connections.
What did Mary Wollstonecraft argue about equality regarding women?
1) She argued that women were no less rational beings than men, and were entitled to the same rights to pursue a career and to own their own property when married.
2) Modern liberals support full civil rights for women and minority groups.
