Liberalism

Question 1

What is ethical individualism ?

Answer 1

all individuals have intrinsic value and their rights should come first
all liberals believe in this

Question 2

What is egoistical individualism?

Answer 2

the way to make individuals free is to leave them alone as they are self interested and self reliant
classical liberals believe in this

Question 3

what is developmental individualism?

Answer 3

individual freedom is linked to help humans flourish and the state must take some part in helping this
modern liberals believe in this

Question 4

What’s the Enlightenment?

Answer 4

great thinkers value reason over tradition and individual liberty over absolute monarchy

Question 5

What is rationalism?

Answer 5

man is a rational creature capable of logic and reason
the world has a logical structure and is based on science
the world structure can be discovered by research
this can help people progress and conflicts can be resolved through reason and discussion

Question 6

What do all liberals believe about freedom?

Answer 6

individuals should be left alone
negative freedom - absence of external constraints
we are free to do as we please so long as we do not harm others - tolerance

Question 7

What is positive freedom?

Answer 7

personal fufiilment and realisation of potential
modern liberals believe in this
this can be achieved through an enabling stage

Question 8

What do classical liberals believe about the state?

Answer 8

strongly oppose the state attempting to tax the rich to boost the chances of the less well of
freedom comes from a minimal state

Question 9

What is the link between individualism and rationalism?

Answer 9

all humans are equal as rational human beings but this also means that they should be recognised as ends to themselves

Question 10

what is the link between freedom and rationalism?

Answer 10

being left alone is appropriate as we are rational so can make sensible choices for ourselves
for modern liberals individual progress through education so that state has a role in helping individuals become more positively fee

Question 11

what is the link between freedom and individualism?

Answer 11

ethical individualism asks us to put the individual first
developmental individualism focuses on the development of individuals ability

Question 12

What if all liberals believe about a limited state?

Answer 12

state is necessary to avoid disorder and to prorated our life
the state to some extent is evil as power tend to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely
it’s power must be donteplled

Question 13

How is the power of the state limited?

Answer 13

internal constraints - separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism
external constraints - codified bill of rights and elections

Question 14

What are some evidence of the British state being limited

Answer 14

PMQs
independent judiciary
neutral civil service
society is politically plural

Question 15

What are the concerns liberals have about democracy historically?

Answer 15

fear of the tyranny of the majority - political elected by majority could persuade individuals, democracy oits the majority first
in the 1800s the majority would have been illiterate so could not really law informed decisions
classical liberals feared that the working class would elects socialists

Question 16

what is a liberal democrat

Answer 16

balances the needs to protect individual liberties and the need to listen to the will of the people
allows people to elect their representative but limits the power of government

Question 17

what do liberals believe are the benefits of democracy?

Answer 17

government is based on consent expressed through elections
spread lower out to ordinary people
helps to develop individuals by promoting political education

Question 18

What is social justice?

Answer 18

the fair distribution of material rewards and benefits in society

Question 19

What is foundational equality?

Answer 19

all humans have from birth the same set of rights which cannot be taken away away

Question 20

What is formal equality?

Answer 20

all individuals should have the same legal and political rights in society

Question 21

what is the equality of opportunity?

Answer 21

all individuals should have equal chances in life to rise and fall

Question 22

What do liberals disagree about the equality of opportunity?

Answer 22

classical liberals - requires there is no discrimination
modern liberals - worry some do not have financial resource to reach. their potential so need a hand up

Question 23

What do liberals believe about the market economy?

Answer 23

offers a wide relain of feeedom for consumers
the economy should not be run by the government

Question 24

What is laissez faire capitalism?

Answer 24

an economic system organised by be market where goods are produced for exchange and profit and wealth is privately owned
supported by classical liberals

Question 25

What is Keynesian economic management?

Answer 25

state tries to tackle unemployment in a slump by borrowing money and spending heavily
supported by modern liberals

Question 26

What is the overall features of classical liberalism?

Answer 26

early liberals who believed that individual freedom would be best achieved with the state playing a minimal role
came back into fashion from the 1970s in Thatcherism

Question 27

What are the overall features of modern liberals?

Answer 27

emerged in the late 19th century reacting against free market capitalism which led to many being poor so they hoped that the state might take a more active role in enabling the least well of to reach their potential

Question 28

What did Locke say about government?

Answer 28

it is necessary and therefore should be contented to be the people which makes it legitimate

Question 29

what is a state of nature?

Answer 29

no government no laws no police and no courts

Question 30

what is social contact theory?

Answer 30

the idea that the state is set up with agreement from the people who agree to respect the states laws

Question 31

What is Lockes mechanistic theory?

Answer 31

the state was created by man to serve the people and act in their intrest
s

Question 32

what did Locke believe the government. should be?

Answer 32

limited
based on consent from below

Question 33

Why did Wollstonecraft believed women were ‘silly’?

Answer 33

societal customs have trained women to accept their place in life and only think about their beauty

Question 34

What type of equality did Wollstonecraft believe in

Answer 34

formal equality - women should have the equal political and legal status as men and should not be barred from education

Question 35

What is the harm principle?

Answer 35

an individual can exercise control over their own body and mind absolutely however cannot cause harm to others

Question 36

what did Mill think the role of the state should be?

Answer 36

very limited as the individual should be free however it should have some power to keep peace between ithers

Question 37

What did Mill think were the benefits for tolerating u popular opinions

Answer 37

the opinion may be right and if this is silence the majority are deprived of realising their wrong
if the opinion is wrong is gives an alternate perspective
we should have free speech

Question 38

What are the three things Mill says the state should do when it comes to education and what should it not do?

Answer 38

Do:
provide a variety of schools
focus on interesting curriculum
provide a competition for other school

Do not:
mould the individual to be like everyone else

Question 39

What did Friedan argue in the Feminine Mystique?

Answer 39

women are as capable of me. and had the moral right to be more than boys wives but are stoped by the lack of legal equality and oppressive social views

Question 40

How should legal equality be achieved according to Friedan?

Answer 40

state must overturn oppressive laws

Question 41

What is the veil of ignorance?

Answer 41

not knowing anything about your circumstance to make a fair unbiased decisions

Question 42

What did Rawls believe about the veil of ignorance?

Answer 42

people would choose a society which at least guarantees each citizen a life worth living - gives equal right and only allwas social inequality which benefit the least advantages