Liberalism Flashcards
Origins of Liberalism?
The origins lie in the reformation, which was the religious movement which influenced Northern Europe in the 15th and 16th Centuries.
This began to expand in the age of enlightenment in the 17th century which set in place the political revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries.
John Locke: Context?
He was a pioneer and frequently questioned the relationship between individuals and the state - father of liberalism.
He presented the idea of mechanistic theory in which he professed that mankind is rational and therefore capable of devising a state which reflects the needs of man which opposes the divine right of kings.
He devised that the political systems should be based on reason as humans were embowed with the power of logic.
The Beliefs of John Locke?
He disputed the notion that the state was part of gods creation therefore, questioned a monarch’s divine right to rule.
Locke believed that the state should serve the interests of man, it should arise from the consent of those who would be governed by it.
Locke believed in a natural society or a state of nature which was underpinned by natural laws and natural rights. Law should only be accepted if it respects natural rights and natural laws.
He established the social contract theory in which citizens consented to being ruled by the state in return for the state improving their situation.
The contractual nature of the state would require limited government, confirmed by a dispersal and separation of powers.
Liberalism and Society?
For liberals society is self serving which links to egotistical individualism.
They also argue that man’s innate rationality and virtue stops destructive selfishness and competition.
Individuals are selfish and reasonable making them sensitive to the perspective of their peers. Self Aware individuals living in peace and harmony.
Classical liberalism places a heavy emphasis on the importance of individualism and sees the purpose of a civilised society in order to facilitate individual freedom.
The right to property in society is seen a tangible expression of individualism.
Adam Smith
He establishes the natural right of the individual to property ownership which in a sense is capitalism.
He established the idea of a free market in which obstacles to free trade were swept away and the invisible hand of the market would guide traders towards success.
This wealth would trickle down to workers therefore, creating the wealth of nations
Liberalism and the State?
Liberals believe that for capitalism and individualism to function effectively there needs to be a level of state intervention to prevent chaos.
The state has to arbitrate between the contrasting claims of rational individuals.
The Principles the state should follow:
Rejection of the Traditional State.
Government by consent.
Promotion of natural rights/individualism.
Promotion of tolerance.
Meritocracy.
Equality of opportunity.
Justice.
What would a Liberal State look like?
It must embody three principles these being -
Constitutional and limited government.
Fragmented Government.
Formal Equality.
This could be implemented through various means such as -
- A formal separation of powers between the executive, judiciary and legislature.
- Separation of powers within the legislature such through bicameralism.
- Supreme court to uphold the bill of rights and decisions can undermine the democratically elected government.
- A Federal System of Government where state powers are delegated to regional government.
Explain Early Classical Liberalism?
It was during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to relate liberal core ideas to the economic and political climate at the time.
Revolutionary Potential - Locke’s vision linked to revolutionary upheaval and links to the Glorious revolution as well as the American Revolution.
Negative Liberty - Freedom involves leaving people alone to pursue their identity, any attempt to interfere with individual actions may therefore, be judged as an infringement on liberty.
Minimal State - Liberal Governments should be limited in size and action, and therefore have dispersal of power.
Laissez - Faire Capitalism - Invisible hand approach would enrich individuals and society alike.
Minor Early Classical Liberals and their Quotes?
Charles-Louis Montesquieu - “ It is necessary for the very nature of things that power should be a check on power”.
Thomas Jefferson - “government that is best is that which governs least, when government grows our liberty withers”.
Mary Wollstonecraft
She was a pioneer of Women’s liberation, her book The Vindication of The Rights of Women is regarded as a classic of feminism.
She argued that the treatment of women in Georgian England was an affront to reason and a particular affront to the liberty of half of the population.
She argued that women were only seen as emotional creatures suited only to marriage and motherhood. Women were kept “in a state of listless activity and stupid acquiescence”.
Her main argument was that the Liberal Optimism surrounding human nature should apply to all human beings as well the assumption that all are guided by reason.
She argued that all women were complicit in their own subjugation and therefore, called for formal education for all.
Who are the 4 Later Classical Liberalism thinkers?
Jeremy Bentham, Samuel Smiles, Herbert Spencer, John Stuart Mill.
Jeremy Bentham
Known as the father of utilitarianism he was a philosopher, jurist and social reformer.
His principle was that the “greatest happiness of the greatest number” is “the measure for right and wrong” he himself described as the “fundamental axiom” of his liberal thinking, and that his principle should guide legislation and government policy.
Bentham believed that individuals could maximise their own “utility” by maximising personal pleasure and minimising personal pain.
Provided the earliest justifications for democracy for governments are more likely to seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number when they are elected and held accountable by voters.
Samuel Smiles
He feared that individualism had been threatened by the advent of socialism especially in regards to its calls for state provision, Smiles argued that self reliance is still perfectly reasonable even for the working class.
Although he accepted that the workers had it difficult he argued that any sort of state help would make them dependent and lazy.
His 1859 book Self Help promoted the idea that poverty was largely caused by irresponsible habits whilst also attacking laissez faire government and materialism.
Herbert Spencer
He first coined the phrase “survival of the fittest” after reading Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
He agreed with Smiles’ view on state intervention however, disagreed with the notion that most individuals could raise themselves as he argued that most workers are feeble, feckless and failing.
He further emphasized the Early Classical idea of a minimal state and negative rights.
John Stuart Mill
His contribution to Liberal thought is often seen as the bridge between classical and modern liberalism.
Anticipating universal suffrage he updated Locke’s idea of representative government with representative democracy.
His incredibly influential book written in 1859 called On Liberty argued that freedom was mostly based on the absence of restraint.
His contribution to liberal theory is often described as transitional liberalism as well as developmental liberalism. What individuals could become, rather than what they had become which is an incredibly positive notion which placed a great emphasis on formal education within a Liberal Society.
