Liberalism Flashcards
What does John Locke believe about human nature?
- Humans are rational beings, guided by self-interest.
- As rational beings people realise that co-operation with others is in their own best interests.
What does John Rawls believe about human nature?
- Saw the empathetic side of human nature to a greater degree than earlier liberal thinkers.
- Saw humans as self-interested but also concerned about the welfare of those around them.
What does Betty Friedan believe about human nature?
- Women and men are equally capable, however society has conditioned women to think of themselves as inferior.
What does John Locke believe about the society?
- Society predates the state = government by consent
-In the ‘state of nature’ there are natural rights and laws which derive from humans’ rational nature, e.g. the right to own property.
What does John Rawls believe about society?
- Put forward a ‘thought experiment’ arguing that if individuals had to choose a society from behind a ‘veil of ignorance’, they would choose a fairer, more equal society, which ensured equality of opportunity.
What does Betty Friedan believe about society?
-Traditional society has conditioned women to adopt certain gender roles, e.g. childcare and home-making.
-This cultural conditioning has been communicated through social channels eg. media and must be challenged.
What does John Locke believe about the state
-The state exists as the result of a ‘social contract’ between citizens and the government.
-The legitimacy of the state derives from the ‘government by consent’.
- mechanist theory = people are capable of forming a state that reflects their needs instead of an authoritarian state
- Argues limited government, laissez-faire economics
What does John Rawls believe about the state?
-He was a strong advocate of the enabling state, arguing that intervention is necessary in order to create equality of opportunity
- Government should support people from ‘cradle to grave’
- this allows people to get positive freedom = the ability to achieve
What does Betty Friedan believe about the state?
-The state is male-dominated but is capable of change if people can be educated to realise the fundamental equality of men and women.
-The state should pass laws to bring about greater equality. - affirmative action is necessary
What does John Locke believe about the economy?
-Property ownership is the basis of the economy and individuals should be free to trade in the pursuit of their own interests.
-The state should protect property rights
What does John Rawls believe about the economy?
- Comfortable with the capitalist economy alongside state intervention to ensure poorer citizens can have equality of opportunity (but not equality of outcome).
What does Betty Friedan believe about the economy?
- Women are capable of making significant contributions to the capitalist economy if they are freed up by new laws to overcome the historical gender bias.
What type of liberalists were the 5 key thinkers?
JS Mill = later classical liberalism
Betty Friedan = Modern liberalism
Mary Wollstonecraft = early classical liberalism
John Locke =
John Rawls =modern liberalism
What does John Locke argue about egotistical individualism?
- Humans are naturally drawn to the advancements of their own and the pursuit of their own happiness
What do neo-liberalists believe about keynesianism economics?
- we need an economic system that requires government involvement to achieve full employment and price stability
- readvertised negative freedom and minimal state
What is neo-liberalism?
a modified form of liberalism tending to favor free-market capitalism.
What is the Beveridge Report?
What does neo-liberalist Hayek say about this?
- 1942
- talked about the state supporting the people from cradle to grave
- Hayek said this was a form of state paternalism
What is Social Darwinism?
The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle.
What is equality of opportunity?
- all individuals should have equal chances in life to rise and fall
Why do social liberals put forward positive freedom?
positive freedom = enlarged state where the most vulnerable in society can be protected
Why do classical liberals such as T.H Green put forward negative freedom?
negative freedom = harm principle and limited role of the state.
How can limitations on individual freedom be justified?
Locke’s social contract theory - Gov can act on behalf of the people because they chose them.
Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism - actions are morally right if they tend to promote happiness or pleasure, actions therefore limited are in benefit for society by the state
TH Green’s negative freedom - laws to prevent discrimination, FGM etc are good even though they limit freedom
Rawls view on the individual freedom
he argued that the individual rights, freedoms and beliefs of each person must be respected. Therefore, approaches such as utilitarianism (the greatest happiness for the greatest number) are flawed. Excessive inequality should therefore be avoided, as it harms the poorest in society
Friedan view on individual freedom
She wished to reform society so that women were able to easily choose either a career or a domestic role, depending on what they wanted. This would result in true equal rights. Any laws which prevented this should be repealed.
Locke view on individual freedom
concepts of ‘natural’ rights, that everyone is entitled to by virtue of being human, and natural laws, and suggested that governments derive legitimacy from the people, so should respect the people’s natural rights.
What did Locke believe about the state?
The state must be representative, based on consent (government by consent)
What did Locke believe society?
Society predates the state- a ‘state of nature’
What is the ‘state of nature’?
A life where men and women functioned without government, written laws, or any formal restraints
What did Locke believe about the ‘state of nature’?
Locke believed that because people are rational, they would be respectful of others in a state of nature, and therefore without a government there would be peace and harmony
Why did Locke believe the state was necessary?
Locke firmly believed that we need a state to protect our freedom and property- a stateless society is one in which we would be devoid of freedom “where laws do not exist, man has no freedom.”
What did Locke believe that the role of the state was? (2)
The role of the state is to protect individual property and to prevent chaos and anarchy
What was the mechanical theory, and how did it apply to Locke?
This is the theory that Locke supported- which said that mankind is rational and therefore capable of devising a state that reflects mankind’s needs
What is the ‘social contract’ and what does it create? (locke)
The social contract outlines that the state is obliged to protect its citizens whilst citizens in turn must accept the laws of the land (creates a government by consent)
How do individuals consent to a government? (2)
- Formal- the government seeks a mandate from the people during a nationwide election, so it is legitimate
- Informal- consent could be taken as assumed from the general behaviour of the people and the absence of major social disorder
What did Locke believe about the economy?
Individuals have a ‘natural right’ to private property, and the state should respect
When are individuals entitled to withdraw their consent for the government?
If the state were to act in violation of the contract, the people are entitled to withdraw their consent
Name one of Locke’s work, and what it outlined:
The Two Treatises of Government 1632-1704- outlined the need for a state to protect individual rights and property
What did J.S. Mills believe that the role of the state was, and what did he believe that the state was not to do?
Mill believed that the role of the state is to prevent harm to others, and not to interfere for an individuals ‘own good’
When did J.S. Mills believe that people can be held accountable to society?
When their actions have concerned/harmed others
Wat type of liberty did J.S. Mills believe in, and what was this?
Negative liberty- freedom from interference by other people (individuals should be left alone, to pursue their destiny)
What types of actions did J.S. Mills accept, and what were these?
Self-regarding actions- actions that affects no one other/doesn’t interfere with anyone other than the agent
What did J.S. Mills believe about diverse ideas, and why did he believe this?
Mills argued that diverse ideas should be tolerated- because this tolerance would ensure that new ideas emerged, and that all opinions would be heard via a rational debate, in order to avoid a tyranny of the majority
What did J.S. Mills believe about human nature?
Mills believed that human nature isn’t fixed and that humans are never the ‘finished article’- there’s always room for improvement and room for progression
Why was J.S. Mills concerned about the government by consent?
Mills was concerned that a ‘government by consent’ would be compromised if the wishes of some individual citizens were overwhelmed by the wishes of most individuals
What did J.S. Mills believe about society?
Mills believed that the best societies were ones were individuality co-existed with tolerance (heavy emphasis on a society and individualism)
What did J.S. Mills believe about individualism?
Mills believed in developmental individualism
What is developmental individualism?
This is a type of individualism which focuses on what humans could become, rather than what they had become- allows individuals’ potential to progress
Why did Mills believe in developmental individualism?
Mills believed in developmental individualism because he thought that man was progressive, and would therefore want to seek out higher pleasures e.g. arts
What does developmental individualism, and therefore Mills, favour and why?
Developmental individualism favours universal and widespread education, as these would promote political education and opportunities for enlightening debate
What did J.S. Mills believe about the state?
The state should be minimal, but should provide essential welfare services (e.g. education) and some level of wealth distribution, in order to proceed towards a representative democracy
Why did J.S. Mills believe in a representative democracy?
As Mills believed in developmental individualism, he believed that universal education was necessary for human progression, and that this level of education would lead to the enlarged electorate electing liberally minded representatives to make decisions for them
Why didn’t J.S. Mills believe in a direct democracy?
`Mills believed a direct democracy would create tyranny of the majority