LIBERALISM Flashcards
HUMAN NATURE AGREE
John Locke proposed a positive view of human nature in the fact that it was positive and people are rational and help others.
JSM agreed with Locke with the idea that humans are rational and positive but he also believed that there was also potential to progress.
Mills idea closely links to Locke but he acknowledges that there is still scope for progression as far as rationality goes for humans but Locke sees this as a virtue.
HUMAN NATURE DISAGREE
Modern liberals disagree with classical liberals toward human nature. Locke and Wollstonecraft suggest humans are rational and equal but modern liberals still see humans as on their way towards these qualities. Whilst Wollstonecraft states that rationalism shows men and women are equal, Friedan argues that human nature has discouraged the advancement of women.
Whilst Locke sees humans as mindful of others, Rawls only sees this empathy from human beings when the state intervenes and causes action.
These point’s highlight the gap that both sets of thinkers have toward the progression of human nature.
JSM writes about how human nature is constantly progressing towards a higher level to better individual rights to those around them. Rawls disagrees as he takes a more backward approach in that humans are only caring for self liberty. Friedan seconds this as , whilst she acknowledges humans have evolved, they have also limited progression of women in society in the meantime.
Liberals society agree
Liberals agree that society has had a negative impact on women. This idea is painted by Wollstonecraft and Friedan. Wollstonecraft talked about how how society had ‘infantilised’ women and subsequnetly suppressed femal advancement in society due to their child-like agenda. This agenda tarnished their chances of progressing towards formal equality and professional careers. Friedan later agreed that society suppressed female individualism by denying them equal opportunity. There were laws in place that discounted women’s rights and therefore they could not progress in society. Whilst they both agree this, Wollstonecraft blamed the lack of education on the lack of progression whereas Friedan argued that women were complicit.
Liberals society disagree
Rawls’ veil of ignorance is noticeably different to the thoughts and values of classical liberals. With a society of a veil of ignorance, there is large amounts of state intervention creating positive liberty to allow all members of the population to have a life worth living. Locke on the other hand concentrates much more on a society with autonomous individuals who make their own decisions - free from state interference. This shows that societies pan out differently in different liberal thinkers heads given that Rawls and Locke significantly disagree on state intervention in society.
Rawls believed in urban societies with less autonomous individuals and those individuals require state support to be free. Neoliberals disagree witht he idea of increased state intervention as this creates a dependency culture on the state and stifles innovation.
LIBERALISM ECONOMY AGREE
Liberals align with free market capitalism. Wollstonecraft and Friedan thought that the free market was a great place for women to show their cedibility on skills and that this would lead to female advancement within society. JSM also agrees that the free-market was the key to progression. This shows that liberals across the spectrum have an ideal economic system.
Liberalism econ disagree
Locke was a huge fan of laissez-faire. Moderns disagreed with this and thought highly of Keynesianism. Locke saw property and wealth as a virtue and a free-market would help this. Mill also supported free-market capitalism but understood the need for some market regulation on wealth such as inheritance tax. Rawls fully disagrees with free-market and argued for state regulation of the poorest and redistributiopn of wealth in society. This shows the sudden shift in belivef and widespread disagreement.#
Modern liberals belief in managed capitalism explains its support for suprantional orgs but neo-liberals see this as an obstacle to free trade
