Liberalism Flashcards
1
Q
what are the differnt liberal schools of thought
A
- classical - (later classical )
- modern
2
Q
what are the core pincipals/ ideas of liberalism
11
A
HN
* Rationalism
* Individualism (vs collectivism)
* (possitive view on HN)
society
* (Individualism) / indervidual at the heart of sociey vs teh collective
* (value of ) freedom/Liberty - (based on natural rights)
* The state is a nessisary evil - an enabling state (minimal state vs expansion of the state)
* equallity(of oppertunity and eqaul rights) and socaisl justice (leagal and foundational equallity)
* (liberal) democracy - (represenative democracy)
* (tolleranace)
* (capitalism)
* Rationalism in dessision making
3
Q
who are the liberal key thinkers
A
traditional
* John Lock
* mary Wollstonecraft
later classical liberalsim
* John Stuart mill
**modern liberals **
* John Rawls
* betty friedan
**neo liberals **
4
Q
what was John Locks wiew on human nature
A
- Possitiev view- emerging out of the Enlightenment’s, he challenged the religious and medieval notion that humans are deeply flawed, sinners, with their only hope being in seeking forgiveness from God
- individualism and rationalism- Locke had the optimistic belief that individuals are guided by reason or rationalism and are able to calculate answers to all sorts of problems. Consquentally he belived in parliamentry democracy as aposed to the need for a monach with a ‘divine right’ to govern like hobbes was arguing a few years prior
- humans have secondry consern for others
5
Q
what was John Locks wiew on Society and teh state
A
- equal rights and socaisl justice + organic society- Prior to the existence of the state, there was a ‘natural society’ which served mankind’s interests tolerably well. This was based upon his tehroy of “natural laws liberties and rights”.These encumpused “life, health, liberty and prossetins”. he rejected the idea of feudalism and the natural higherarchy
1. “all men by nature are equal” - Liberal democracy- Locke denied the medieval principle that the state was a creation of God and that monarchs had a ‘divine right’ to govern. instead he wanted parliemetry democracy based off his belife in human rationalisn .
- the state is a nessary evil minimal state- this was the ‘state of nature’ and the (modern state) ‘state of law’ should be designed to improve on the state of nature. This meant law that would ensure negative liberties and protection of natural rights. Locke denied the medieval principle that the state was a creation of God and that monarchs had a ‘divine right’ to govern. The state’s power would be dispersed between different branches; executive, legislative and judiciary, to avoid the state having too much power and its foccus my be the individual,
1. “governement has no other end but the preservaion of propperty” - indervidualism + liberal democracy and value of freedom and liberty and rights - locke was a pionear of social contrect theory, A ‘state of law’ required government by consent by
- society was based around the individual rather than the collective- this is highlighted in the protection of individual natural rights above all else and his advocacy for laissez fair capitalism to allow indervials to self actualise
6
Q
what was encumpused in john locks natural righst
A
“life, health, liberty and pocetions”
7
Q
john lock quote on equallity
A
- “all men, by nature are equal”
8
Q
what was John Locks wiew on the economy
A
- iportance of liberty and freedom- Locke argued that it was a ‘natural right’ of individuals to own private property and should be allowed to keep it without interference from the state.
- laissez fair capitalsim, ( an economy based on liberty and freedom) and indervidualism/ cengtred arounf the indervidual- Locke believed that the economy should be based on private business and enterprise allowing the individual self actualization/forfillment.
- Minimal state but the State is a nessisary evil- Locke argued that it was the role of government to protect natural property rights
“governement has no other end but the preservaion of propperty”
9
Q
john lock quote on the economy
A
“governement has no other end but the preservaion of propperty”
10
Q
what feauture unites all early traditional classical liberals
A
- Early classical liberals rejected the traditional European state model, based on an all powerful monarch who ruled by divine right.
- negative liberty
- watch guard state
- minarchist state
11
Q
what did mary wolstone caft think about human nature
A
- rationalsim and possitve view on HN- exapanding on lock her primary claim was that human nature was rational and this encumuses women under the premise of all human beings being equal. socirty stiffled of womens potencial for rationalism and interlectal thought
1. “strengthen the female mind […] and it will be the end to blind obedience”
12
Q
what did mary wolstone caft think about society
A
- valued freedom, liberty and tollenece of peoples difernces - Wollstonecraft described women as ‘slaves…in a political and civil sense’ in the current society and that this was unjust as they would be jsut as rationalks as men if not constained by society. to have freedom and government by consent women needed the vote
- indervidualism - to have freedom and government by consent/ social contract theory women needed the vote
- equallity and socials justce- she demanded formal equality for women and for then to enjoy full cival loberties, particularly in marriage and education
- liberal democrcy - She belived there should be a republic, functioing via dirrect democray, that there had to be universal sufurage, expaning to women inorder to achive governemnt by consent/ for social contact therory to work. this was a mechnistic view of the state based on her idea of human rational
13
Q
what did mary wolstone caft think about the state
A
- minimal state based on equallity and social justice and liberty - like most early traditionals she rejected monarchy. she thought they should be overthrown by a republic that enshrined equality for both men and women.
- liberal democrcy - She belived there should be a republic taht should overthrow the manarch
- Individualism- functioing via dirrect democray, that there had to be universal sufurage, expaning to women inorder to achive governemnt by consent/ for social contact therory to work.
- value liberty and freedom- Wollstonecraft described women as ‘slaves…in a political and civil sense’ primarillyas they didnt have the right to vote, she wanted dirrect democrcy with universal suffernage
14
Q
wolstonecarfts view on the economy
A
- capitalism andn a value of liberty and freedom- Wollstonecraft supported the idea of a free market economy but argued that women should be liberated to be able to work and be educated. This would energise the economy with an increased educated workforce, meaning more goods could be produced and more wealth created.
- equal rights and social justice- Women should also be allowed to own property as well as men as its a natural right.
15
Q
what was john stuart Mill’s opinion on HN
A
- possitive view on HN, Individualistc and rational- he was a subscriber to jeramy benthams utiliterianism in that he belived that we are the best judges of our own happiness (rationalism), one should maximise their own ‘utility’ by maximising personal pleasure and minimising personal pain (individualism). He thought that we are souly diven by our own interst and taht this is a good thing but that we should stive to improve not just ourslef but civalisation too. this was aroudn the same time as Samuel Smiles: Self Help and the idea of ‘developmental individualism’, ( irregardless of class/finaces the idividual could be their ow enablign force and in that regard the inequallity in society did not limit personal freedom) and universal eduction should help us do this. ( so by our own rationalism we could impreve ourselfs + state eduction)
1. “it’s better to be socrates disatified than a pig satified”- rationalism
16
Q
what are stuart mills ideas known as
A
transitional liberalism
17
Q
john Stuart Mill quote on rationalsim
A
- “it’s better to be socrates disatified than a pig satified”
18
Q
John Stuart Mill view on society and state
A
- tolerance and equallity- He argued for equal rigths for minorties and that religious worship or expression of personal views did not impinge on the freedom of society. (negatiev libertis and harm princiapal) - based on the harm principal
1. “men are men before they are lawyers or physisians”- evryone is made equal - tollerace- Mill argued that tolerance of diverse opinions was especially important as it would ensure that good ideas would emerge whilst bad ideas would be exposed
- state is a nessisary evil minimal state- based on the the harm pricipal, ‘self-regarding’ actions were outdide the jurqstiction of the state. this inlcluded religion. the only justificantion for state intervention was to “prevent harm to others”
- social equallity/ of opertunity but not interlectual equality and liberal decomrcy -Mill also argued for state funded eduction to give all people to have an education to allow them to tolerate a variety of different opinions and be informed enough to elect representatives. he was a preponamt for womens rights and suferage. If people were not educated but given the vote, this would lead to the ‘tyranny of the majority’ and erode people’s individualism. Howver, He believed the vote should be withheld from the illiterate and unschooled, whilst those with a university education such as Mill should have more than one vote.
- slightly stronger state and greter justice- Linked to the ‘harm principle’ Mill argued that some degree of state intervention was justified to protect the poor from injustice and abuse of their freedoms.
- greater social equallity/ of opertunity - Mill believed that income should be taxed at a single rate but was in favour of inheritance tax because transmission of wealth across the generations gave some individuals huge advantage over others and harmed the potential of the less well off.
19
Q
John Stuart Mill view on the economy
A
- value freedom and liberty and capitalism- Mill, although a capitalist, challenged the belief in a completely free-market economy. Mill supported capitalism primarily as it tied to his belief in ‘developmental individualism’- ( from samuel smiles self help) and the groth of human civilisation through work and indervidual indevar). he believed competition made production more efficient.
- greater equality and social justice- Mill, however, believed that it was wrong that workers led deprived lives and died young of sickness or malnourishment. Linked to his ‘harm principle’ Mill argued that the state should intervene to protect workers from abuse. Consquentally, un like other traditionals, he thought there needed to be a base line income tax. but this should not incrse as one’s wealth increses as taht was punicing peopel for their abillity to save and tehir sucess in his mind. however, inheritance tax because transmission of wealth across the generations gave some individuals huge advantage
- greater equality and social justice- Mill also argued that women should be given rights to work and that children protected from being exploited.
- tax would also fund a universla education system
20
Q
what was john Rawels opinion on HN
A
- slightly more negative view on HN, indervidualistc but rational- rawls agreeded with classical liberals in that he thought humans were primarily indervidualistc and selfsih but he wasnt convinced that this was a good thing. However, he did think humans were rational. This is what under pinned Rawls’ argument was that, given the conditions of the ‘original position’ and the ‘veil of ignorance’ individuals would choose a ‘fairer society’ where inequalities were reduced to help the poorest in society althogh beuse of our individulistic tendency this had nnot emerged yet - this was how governemnt of a strong state by consent would be chived for all
21
Q
what did john rawels think about society and the state
A
- tolerance, equallity of opertunity and social justice- Rawls’ argument was that, given the conditions of the ‘original position’ and the ‘veil of ignorance’ individuals would choose a ‘fairer society’ where inequalities were reduced to help the poorest in society as well as minorities and that this should be the way in which society functions. Therfore, governemnt by consent and social contact theory still aplied even for the rich. this meant he was in favour of a keynisan economic system with a lareg welfair state to give the poor quallity of op, but he was fine with equality of outcome
- enlarged state as aposed to minimal state - where as traditional liberals argued more for neagtive liberties rawels argued for possitive liberty where the state inabled euallity of opertunity by helping the porest in society. he was still very much ok with equalty of outcome tho
- valuing liberty and freedom- Because given the orgiginal condition, people would choses for society to function this way, it was still a government by consent and the richest people would be willing to sacrifice more of their wealth to help the poorest.
- economic freedom via mixed keynsian economics - pure laissez fair capitalsim demoted equallity of opertunity though creating huge injustces, thereofre there needed to be a state internevtion to help the poorest in society
22
Q
what is equallity under the lawn known as
A
formal equallity
23
Q
john rawls view on the economy
A
-
equallity, economic freedom and liberty but not via capitalsim-
1. Rawls argued that Laissez-Faire capitalism reinforced the economic disadvantages of society creating inequallity of opertunity. Rawls therefore argued that the state should intervene to help the poorest in society to achieve their potential. To do this, there would have to be higher taxation of wealth, especially inheritance tax and efforts to redistribute this wealth to the poorest in society. Given the the ‘original position’ and the ‘veil of ignorance’ individuals would choose a ‘fairer society’ where inequalities were reduced to help the poorest in society. Therfore, governemnt by consent and social contact theory still aplied even for the rich. - prive propperty- to achive this there shoudl be progressive taxtion of people’s wealth and massive inhertance taxes
24
Q
whats a significant economic tension in liberalism
A
- progressive taxation vs priavte propperty
25
Q
what did betty fridan belive about HN
A
- possitve, individualistc- She insisted that all individuals naturally were enclined to and should be free to seek control over their own lives and realise their own potential- and the state limited women from doing this . ( self actualisation)
- possitve view on huamn nature and compleet rationalty- she held the view that “women were stoped at a state of evolution far short of their human capacity”
“who knows what women can be when tehy are finally free to become themsleves”
26
Q
betty fredan quote on human nature
A
- “women were stoped at a state of evolution far short of their human capacity” - limmited rational and possitive nature stiffled
- “who knows what women can be when tehy are finally free to become themsleves” -limmited rational and possitive nature stiffled
