Liberalism

Question 1

What is individualism?

Answer 1

Where an individuals interests are more important than collective/societal interests - human rights should apply equally and not infringed on by others or the state

Question 2

What do classical liberals believe on individualism?

Answer 2

Egotistical individualism - self-interest and self-reliance which minimises the importance of society
-Human nature is fixed (everything needed to grow is given at birth)

Question 3

What do modern liberals believe on individualism?

Answer 3

Developmental individualism - society where each person can grow, plays down self-interest and more state intervention needed so that they could be more than what is assigned at birth - Mill advocating for greater education

Question 4

What is tolerance? (liberalism)

Answer 4

A willingness to respect values, customs and beliefs

Question 5

What did classical liberals believe on tolerance?

Answer 5

Rational individuals were capable of tolerance - Locke argues the state of nature allowed people to exercise natural rights although there may be clashes

Question 6

What is the state of nature? (liberalism)

Answer 6

A hypothetical of what life may have been like before law and government - used in Locke’s theory that the state was required to prevent clashes between people

Question 7

What did modern liberals believe on tolerance?

Answer 7

Should be extended to intolerant acts unless it directly threatens others
Betty Friedan argued for greater tolerance of minorities as a liberal feminist and rejected radical feminism, instead opting for further legislation on discrimination and even positive discrimination

Question 8

What is positive discrimination?

Answer 8

Treating someone who has been disadvantaged differently in order to produce positive outcomes (e.g creating all women short lists for jobs)

Question 9

How do classical and modern liberals differ on individualism?

Answer 9

Classical:
-Egotistical individualism, Individual rights more important than collective, Minimal state involvement with negative freedom
Modern:
-Developmental individualism (human nature not fixed), Enabling state and Positive freedom

Question 10

What are the similarities between classical and modern liberals on individualism?

Answer 10

-All born with natural rights, liberty, happiness and avoidance of pain
-Formal equality (Wollstonecraft ‘citizen’ in French Revolution
-Tolerance (Locke, Wollstonecraft and Friedan)

Question 11

What is freedom/liberty? (liberalism)

Answer 11

Gov should not interfere unless someones actions threatens others - mechanistic view driven by rational self-interest whereby minority interests and overridden by those of the majority

Question 12

What are classical liberals beliefs on freedom?

Answer 12

Reject a pessimistic view of human nature, as much personal freedom as possible which respecting the liberty of others - supports social contract theory, ‘harm principle’ and minimalist state

Question 13

What is Locke’s mechanistic theory of government?

Answer 13

That society is merely a collection of atomised self-interested individuals

Question 14

What is negative freedom? (liberalism)

Answer 14

A classical belief where the state treats everyone equally but does not improve the lives of individuals - supports a minimalist state as one of the biggest threats to liberty is the state itself

Question 15

What is the ‘harm principle’? (liberalism)

Answer 15

A classical belief popularised by J.S Mill in ‘On Liberty’ (1859), that human actions should be as free as possible unless it harms others - negative liberty which limits the influence of the state, ‘self-regarding’ and ‘other-regarding’ actions

Question 16

What are modern liberals beliefs on freedom?

Answer 16

Positive liberty - individuals are entitled to protections for their freedoms in order to achieve their potential that wouldn’t have happened otherwise, optimistic about human nature to actively support others rather than just respecting their own rights

Question 17

How do modern liberals differ from the classical ‘harm principle’?

Answer 17

What defines harm - as it may be psychological and emotional as well as violent, therefore modern liberals support limits on speech and actions

Question 18

How are modern liberals beliefs on freedom seen through Rawls?

Answer 18

In ‘Theory of Justice’ he reinstated foundational equality but that it is now needed under the law - argued a redistribution of wealth, public spending and progressive taxation

Question 19

How do classical and modern liberals differ on freedom?

Answer 19

Classical:
-Atomistic society (Locke and Mill)
-‘harm principle’, minimal state
-negative freedom
Modern:
-organic society, common good
-progressive taxes for development (Rawls)
-positive freedom and enabling state

Question 20

What is an atomistic society? (liberalism)

Answer 20

Classical belief that society is a collective of individuals who pursue their own interests, there is no such thing as a common good

Question 21

What are the similarities between classical and modern liberals on freedom?

Answer 21

-Entrenched constitutions and separation of power to provide a limited gov for individual freedom
-Both accept social contract theory (Locke & Rawls)
-Accept some sentiment of harm principle

Question 22

What is the state?

Answer 22

a ‘necessary evil’ that liberals viewed as a threat to individuals liberty, strict limits needed or it will be exploited for someones own gain, both share a fear of the state

Question 23

What is a ‘necessary evil’

Answer 23

How liberals refer to the state - necessary to protect individual freedoms and defend the nation but an evil as it can interfere with peoples rights

Question 24

How can the state be limited? (liberalism)

Answer 24

constitutionalism, government by consent, checks and balances, separation of the powers

Question 25

How should the liberal state act?

Answer 25

Tolerant, democratic, meritocratic, rational and limited - laws should be based upon natural laws of respect

Question 26

What is meritocracy?

Answer 26

Social position in society is determined by ability and effort

Question 27

What are classical liberals beliefs on the state?

Answer 27

Act as a ‘night watchman’, limited to simply protect (Mill) and be based on representative democracy rather then direct to avoid ‘tyranny of the majority’

Question 28

What are classical liberals beliefs on the state with the economy?

Answer 28

A non-interventionist state and laissez-faire economic policy with an ‘invisible hand’ for the free-market, classical opposed tariffs and duties on imports, instead ‘free-trade’ for trickle down economics

Question 29

What is ‘tyranny of the majority’? (liberalism)

Answer 29

The state elected by a majority that want to further their own objectives despite discriminating against the minority (Mill) - liberals feared this

Question 30

What is laissez-faire economic policy? (liberalism)

Answer 30

Minimal gov interference within economy - classical liberals supported this

Question 31

What is the ‘invisible hand’ in the economy? (liberalism)

Answer 31

A classical belief that the market will guide itself without any state interference (Adam Smith)

Question 32

What are modern liberals beliefs on the state?

Answer 32

An enabling state that practices positive freedom - equality of opportunity calls for greater education and welfare that promote social justice (Rawls) which links to developmental individualism (Mill)

Question 33

How do classical and modern liberals differ on the state?

Answer 33

Classical - minimal/limited state as a ‘night watchman’, formal equality in law, laissez-faire economy
Modern - enabling state to ensure equality of opportunity for those disadvantages by socio-economic factors, Keynesianism

Question 34

What are similarities between classical and liberal beliefs on the state?

Answer 34

Both believe in social contract theory and government by consent, and that the state serves individuals - although a ‘necessary evil’

Question 35

What is Keynesianism? (liberalism)

Answer 35

A modern belief in a ‘middle way’ for the economy - state should intervene in the market to try and secure full employment