Liberalism

Question 1

Core beliefs of Liberalism: Human Nature

Answer 1

Believe mankind’s reason is mainfested in debate, discussion, peaceful debate and examination of ideas and opinion
Individuals have the capacityto plan their own fuutre and affect a preconceived outcome
Human ‘problems’ are challenges awaiting soltuons and individuals who want something can achieve it through reason and determination
Discussionleads to cosnsensus, beacuse they assume human nature includes rationality

Question 2

Egotistical individualism

Answer 2

Belief that individual freedom involves satisfying ones own desires and needs.
Held by classical liberals and an extreme example is Thatcherism

Question 3

Developmental individualism

Answer 3

Believe in society, belive individuals wish to live alongside each other
Held by social liberals and agree with more state intervention

Question 4

Core beliefs of Liberalism: Society

Answer 4

Believe in ‘natural society’ with natural laws and rights which preceded state.
John Stuart Mill belives main purposed of a natural society is to facilitate individualism.
Individuals are unique rational, in pursuit of self-interest
All societies should seek focus on individual freedom and no state should seek to deny these

Question 5

John Stuart Mill’s ‘Harm Principle’

Answer 5

Individual liberty should only be restricted if it harms others

Question 6

Core beliefs of Liberalism: The Economy

Answer 6

Support capitalism as they see property as a ‘natural right’ - John Locke
Seen as a benefit to all

Question 7

Core beliefs of Liberalism: The State

Answer 7

• View state as a ‘necessary evil’ - provides structure that avoids disorder by humans but has power to coerce and restrict individual liberty
• Reject paternalism - everyone is rational to make own decisions
• Believe in limited state - support role of law, constitutionalism, independent judiciary
• Classical liberals support laissez-faire economics, modern liberals may support more state intervention
• Political power on a meritocracy

Question 8

Negative Liberty (put forward by Isiah Berlin)

Answer 8

An individual is free from external constraints interference to do as they wish

Question 9

Positive Liberty (put forward by Isiah Berlin)

Answer 9

When an individual is given to do as they wish by an authority

Question 10

Liberalism view on equality and social justice

Answer 10

All individuals are born equally in terms of opportunity and ability to control their own lives
If there is an individiual who fails -> their problem not the states
The state should treat individuals fairly in regards to their identity (RULE OF LAW, MAGNA CARTA 1215)

Question 11

Foundational equality

Answer 11

All humans have rights just for being born and can’t be taken away i.e. the Human Rights Act 1998
Belived by Socialists but disagreed by Conservatives who believe inequality is a natural part of society

Question 11

Formal equility

Answer 11

All individuals have the same legal and political rights i.e. the Voting Acts Right 1964 in US

Question 12

Who disagreed with formal equility and why?

Answer 12

John Stuart Mill - suggested that weighted voting, where educated and land-owning vters had more of a say at elections

Question 13

Eqaulity of opporunity

Answer 13

All individuals have equal chances in life to succeed or fail i.e. the creation of the NHS in 1947 by Attlee based on the Beverdge report or the 1967 Race Relations Act to provide equality of opportunity regardless of race on the UK

Question 14

Socialists view on equality of opportunity

Answer 14

Democractic socialists - belive in Equality of Outcome, where people end up with circumstances based on poverty and wealth
Social democrats - belive in equality of opportunity

Question 15

Conservatives view on equality of opportunity

Answer 15

Modern conservatives - believe in equality of opportunity -> includes a welfare state to provide a decent standard of living and healthcare services

Question 16

Liberal democracy

Answer 16

Respects will of the people and has regular free and fair elections
John Stuart Mill argued democracy helps individuals to develop as it allows them to learn and be more rational
Liberals believe a consitiution is needed to check powers of democracy

Question 17

Limited government

Answer 17

Limited by checks and balances and a seperation of powers like in the US. Example of this is Obama stepping down from the Senate in 2008 after becoming President

Question 18

What is laissez-faire capitalism? (belived by classical liberals)

Answer 18

Compeition between people, seeking profit, benefit all in society. Free market = based way to allocate resources
Adam Smith in ‘Wealth of Nations’ (1776) argued ‘invisible hand’ regulates market (forces of supply and demand)

Question 19

What is Kenyesianism economcis? (argued by modern + social liberals)

Answer 19

Rejects some of laissez-faire economics like the idea the government should haev no involvement in economics and should correct itself -> Instead government should intervene to stimulate the economy by manipulating demand
Government should help economy achieve price stability and full employment
This government intervention supports some liberal ideas i.e. equality of opportunity (creating full employment) and the idea of an ‘enabling state’

Question 20

Mechanisitic theory

Answer 20

The state is a man-amde creation by individuals create to serve their own interest. Liberals believe that the state is created by individuals to protect freedom -> as a result, interactions between individuals determine how the state functions
Opposes organic theory of the state (state evolves over time) belived by Conservatives

Question 21

Example of Mechanistic theory

Answer 21

Social Contact theory - individuals come together to vote for a government to make laws to uphold individual freedom -> if people unhappy, they can vote government out i.e. vote to leave EU in 2016 referndum

Question 22

Classical Liberalism

Answer 22

Supports a minimal state as the best way to protect individual liberties and is an earlier form of Liberalism

Question 22

Theorists who championed the social contract theory

Answer 22

John Locke
Jean Jacques Rosseau - in “On the Social Contract” (1762) claimed ‘man is born free, and everywhere he is chains’ as at the time citizens had no rights like voting. Came up with idea that citizens have same rights and freedoms as each other and in return accpeted government and security. Inspired US War of Independence (1776) and French Revolution (1789)

Question 23

Classical Liberalism: Minimal State

Answer 23

Has enough institutions to keep order in society (i.e. law and order insitutions) but has limited intervention in the economy and the personal lives of individuals
Support idea of negative liberty

Question 24

Classical Liberalism: Minimal State: The Economy

Answer 24

Supports laissez-faire economy -> market forces able to allocate resources most efficiently i.e. Liberal governments of 19th century supported free trade and tariff reform
Argues state control of the market doesn’t allocate resources to those who value them most -> economy doesn’t run efficiently

Question 25

Classical Liberalism: Minimal State: Private Space

Answer 25

Does not infringe on personal realm
Individuals are entitled to private space without a moral code imposed by the state i.e. First Amendment of US Constitution allows of freedom of speech and religion

Question 26

Classical Liberalism: Freedom

Answer 26

Believe in negative liberty (less state intervention makes people self-reliant and take responsibility for themselves)
Opposed to people dependent on the state

Question 27

Modern Liberalism

Answer 27

A newer form of liberalism and believes in regulating the free market in order to prevnt high levels of inequality due to structural reasons that prevent the fair distribution of resources and opportunities i.e. poverty, unemployment and a lack of education

Question 28

An example of modern liberalism

Answer 28

‘New’ liberalism in the early 20th centruy
In UK modern liberalism has evolved from the 1906 liberal government to the present day

Question 29

Modern Liberalism: Enabling State

Answer 29

Supported by modern liberals
Is a larger state that provides individuals with the resources that may be necessary to succeed -> results in the accpetance of more government intervention in society and the economy i.e. progressive taxation can be used to raise income for social welfare programmes

Question 30

Examples of enabling state

Answer 30

In early 20th centruy, Liberal Government introduced graduated income taxes to fund social reforms, such as some healthcare services and social insurance programmes
Welfare programmes after WWII heavily influenced by Sir William Beveridge, a Liberal Peer -> Beveridge report outlined ways to support worst-off in society and inspired creation of NHS

Question 31

Modern Liberalism: Freedom

Answer 31

Believe in positive liberty where state intervention can ensure freedom -> can be through increasing opportunities for citizens or through policies that reduced poverty in society

Question 32

John Locke (classical) (1632-1794)

Answer 32

• Social Contact Theory - Individuals lose freedom from the state of nature to gain laws, judges and executives but in return can vote governments in or out. Individuals are rational and believe it is in their best interests to have a government
• Limited Government - argued “where law does not exist, man has no freedom.” Suggests state protects us from harm and this esnures our individual freedoms. Individuals have right to own property. State should protect ‘life, liberty and estate’ but should be the limit of government

Question 33

Molly Wollstonecraft (classical) (1759-92)

Answer 33

“A Vindiction of the Rights of Women” - Men and women are both rational -> should be treated equally and have the saem rights and liberties. Argued ‘mind has no gender’ challenging why women have been denied education and viewed as less rational and that they should be educated.
Formal equality - would give women liberty which had been constrained by the patriarchy. Advocated careers for women

Question 34

John Stuart Mill (classical) (1806-73)

Answer 34

• In “On Liberty” sets out harm principle, focuses on individual freedom and how it is vital to society, believes all individuals have free will and repsonibility for their own lives. Text links to ideas of individualism, freedom and responsibility
• “On Liberty” also argues that just because an idea is popular doesn’t mean it is true -> suggests individuals should have discussions and test ideas out to see which are true i.e. by playing devil’s advocate. Suggested established beliefs should be challenged and shouln’t be accepted just because they are popular

Question 35

John Rawls (modern) (1921-2002)

Answer 35

• In “A Theory of Justice” tries to resolve problem balancing freedom and equality -> argued can be balanced in a principle called ‘justice as fairness’ -> idea that principles of society in justice are the principles that everyone in society would agree on if they assessed society from a position of ignorance
  The Veil of Ignorance - experiment which an individual imagines what society they would like to live in without knowing the position they would be in -> argued most individuals would want to be in one with a fair jusitce system, a good education system and equality of opportunity. However, does not take into consideration some may choose unequal society in hopes of gaining more while running risk of having less

Question 36

Betty Friedan (modern) (1921-2006)

Answer 36

• In “The Feminine Mystique” writes about problems of women having limited societal opportunities and forced to becoming wives and mothers
• Argued women were just as capable as men but society restricted women and this needed to be changed i.e. in early to mid 1900s policy for firms to fire women getting maried and not hire married women in the US
• Her work increased equality of opporunity for women. Argued for the rights of women to become self-fufilied - supporting the liberal idea of self-determination and rationality