Liberalism Flashcards
What are the 6 core principles
- Individualism - the primacy of the individual in society over any group
- Freedom / liberty - the ability and right to make decisions in your own interest
- The State - argue for a limited state as it has the ‘evil’ to potentially remove individual liberty
- Rationalism - the belief that humans are rational creatures, capable of reason and logic
- Equality / Social justice - the belief that individuals are of equal value and that they should be treated impartially and fairly by society
- Liberal Democracy - a democracy that balances the will of the people (via election) with limited government and a respect for civil liberties in society
Who are the Key thinkers (5)
- John Locke (Classical)
- Mary Wollstonecraft (Classical)
- John Stuart Mill (Classical/Modern)
- John Rawls (Modern)
- Betty Friedan (Modern)
John Locke
Social Contract theory - society, state and government are based on a theoretical voluntary agreement
Limited government - should be limited and based on consent from below
Mary Wollstonecraft
Reason - women are rational and independent beings capable of reason
Formal equality - in order to be free, women should enjoy full civil liberties and be allowed to have a career
John Stuart Mill
Harm principle - individuals should be free to do anything except harm other individuals
Tolerance - belief that popularity of a view does not necessarily make it correct
John Rawls
Theory of justice - opinion that society must be just and guarantee each citizen a life worth living
The veil of ignorance - a hypothetical scenario where individuals agree on the type of society they want from a position where they lack knowledge of their own position in society
Betty Friedan
Legal equality - women are as capable as men and that oppressive laws and social views must be overturned
Equal opportunity - women are being held back from their potential because of the limited number of jobs that are ‘acceptable’ for women
How did Liberalism originate? (2)
- Stress on individual autonomy - the individual must act on their own accordance
- The Enlightenment movement accelerated this way of thinking
Difference between classical and modern liberals
Classical liberals - egotistical individualism where humans are naturally drawn to advancement of their own, self interests and pursuit of their own happiness
Modern liberals - developmental individualism where humans chose for social progress and a degree of altruism
Common assumptions on the State (3)
- Believe in civil liberties (e.g. freedom of speech), and thus believe that the state must uphold individual rights and freedom
- Believe in democratic governance (i.e. governing through consent)
- Fear that the state may end up with too much power/control and persecute certain groups
Classical liberals on the state (3)
- The state should have a role of a night-watchman where there should be a balanced budget and adopt good fiscal housekeeping
- Feared the power of the state - saw it as a threat to liberty and believed that it would curb enterprises and reduce dynamism of the economy
- The state should be limited and controlled by the government based on representative democracy
Modern liberals on the state (3)
- Accepted an expanded state in the fields of welfare services (e.g. education, healthcare and redistribution of income)
- State intervention justified on the grounds of social justice, equality and social welfare
- The state should be limited in the form of strong constitutional rules and robust democracy
Common assumptions on human nature (3)
- Reject the conservative / Catholic view that human beings are flawed and incapable of improvement
- Belief that all humans are equal (‘difference blind’)
- All human beings are self seeking and self serving
Classical liberals on human nature
- Support the idea of egotistical individualism
Quotes from John Stuart Mill
“Over his mind and body, the individual is sovereign”
