Liberalism Flashcards
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Background to Liberalism -The Enlightenment
- Rise of reason and science in a religiously dominated society
- Intellectual and philosophical movement
- Challenged power of church - no divine right of kings, instead rule of law, freedom of speech, liberty
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Background to Liberalism -The Reformation
- Political and social grievances to Catcholic church - had more influence than king
- Martin Luther challenged the doctrine that pope was spiritual authority with democratisation of information with printing press - nailed thesis on church (95)
- Common people empowered to question religion
Rationalism
Reason/ability to work out solutions to problems logically. Humans guided by this.
Individualism
Each individual should think/act in accordance with their own beliefs. Each individual possesses natural rights and should advance in their own interests and pursue their own happiness. In charge of their own destiny.
Tolerance
A belief that all views/activities should be tolerated, as long as they do not harm others. Connected to individual freedom.
Human nature - how does liberalism disagree with traditional view of human nature
Mankind’s innate reason is manifested in debate, discussions, peaceful argument and measured in examination of ideas and opinions rather rely on the will of God for forgiveness for human imperfection
Human nature - the concept of humans planning their own futures
Goes against idea of ‘fate’ and ‘will of god’ - we can apply reason to better ourselves
Human nature - egotistical individualism
Denotes a belief that human beings are naturally drawn to advancement of their own selfish interests and the pursuit of their own happiness
Society - early philosopher’s ‘natural rights’
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with our ‘natural rights’
Society - ‘default setting’
A focus on individual freedom and that any society which seeks to deny individualism is dysfunctional
Right to property seen as a tangible expression of an individual in society
The economy - inevitable capitalism
Believes that property is a natural right, so it is inevitable that liberalism should support an economy that puts private property at the heart of economic arrangement
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Economic liberalism
Another term for capitalism, believes in:
- Private property - a natural right
- Individualistic in theory - individual trade cooperating and competing
- Ultimate benefit to all - eternal optimism and belief in progress
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Adam Smith’s view on the economy
Theory of markets in ‘The Wealth of Nations’ associating liberalism with private enterprise and private ownership of the economy
‘Invisible hand’ - competition and self interest regulate free market
Rejection of a traditional state
The liberal state renounces the sort of state where power is concentrated in one place and where it is exercised randomely - against divine right
Government by consent
The government only rules by the consent of the people. They’re not ‘subjects’ they are where sov rests in the nation. ‘Social contract’ between ruler and people.
Natural rights/individualism
Humanity is born with certain rights inherit to them, which should not be denied. Individuals would only be happy to accept the power of the state if it did not undermine these rights.
Meritocracy
The belief argued that the top positions in government and society as a whole should be done by those who are most capable - contrast to hereditary and hieracheal
Justice
The state should treat everyone fairly and equally. Individuals within a liberal state should be able to assume any outcome from any complaints will be fairly resolved by the state
Formal equality
All individuals within a liberal state should have the same legal and political rights - enshrined in the concept ‘rule of law’ - no one should ever be above or outside the law
Constitutionalism/limited government
The liberal state supports the idea of a formal constitution which establishes the relationship between the state and the governed. They also believe in a limited government alongside this, which would interfere as little as possible with citizen rights.
Fragmented government
Otherwise known as the idea of a ‘seperation of powers’ which suggests that when power is concentrated in one place it has a negative impact - therefore government power should be distributing and fragmented with checks and balances in different branches of government
Equality of opportunity
Otherwise known as ‘foundational equality’ - the idea that we are all born equal and have natural rights. All individuals must have the same starting chance in life - equally if they fail they are responsible
What is it and John locke’s 4 views
Classical Liberalism
- Based on emphasising humanity’s capacity for reason and logi - early liberals believing state and society should be changed to reflect this
JOHN LOCKE
- Freedom of belief - no true religion, diversity helps to create order in society - ‘Earthly judges cannot evaluate religion
- State ‘preserves the comfortable living of men/society’ - ‘the state has no business with the content of men’s soul’
- Argued we all have alienable, natural rights that cannot be taken away
- With their consent, the people should use their personal freedom to preserve their rights - can withdraw and overthrow - social contract
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Negative Liberty
Freedom from interference from others - primarily concerned with freedom from external restraint - state NOT stopping you from doing something
EG Minimal tax, legalisation of marijuana, freedom of religion
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Wollstonecraft main views
- Pro-meritocratic society
- Critical of constitutional system - class - distorts human nature
- Critical lack of feminist policies - confined to sphere, not natural, civilsation incomplete
- Social and economic conditions lead to revolt, lack of power in patriachy so are dependent on men, women naturally equal to men
- Power of human reason to reform
3 - John Mill
On Liberty principles
- Democracy alone does not guarantee personal freedom because the majority rules over the individual - which is social tyranny
- It’s only okay to limit people’s freedom when you’re trying to save them from harm - by default, omission, accident
- False opinions are good and important - important to be confronted with wrong and heavily controversial opinions because it gets society to think about if and why the common opinions are correct in the first place
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Classical Liberalism - the economy
- Private property - heart of all economic migrants
- Laissez-faire capitalism
- ‘Invisible hand’ of market forces has a limitless capacity to enrich individuals - wealth acquired would trickle down to the rest of the population and end of duties and tarriffs that ‘protected’ domestic producers
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Classical Liberalism - the state
- Nightwatchmen
- Seperation of powers
- Minimal state - negative liberty
- Should be driven by representatives of the people
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Classical Liberalism - society
- Women require an education to release their innate power of reason
- Equality of opportunity
- Should be geared to maximum individual freedom - individualism
- ‘Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness’, ‘natural rights’
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Classical Liberalism - human nature
- Rationalism - humanity’s prime characteristic was a capacity for reason and logic
