liberalism Flashcards
5 liberal thinkers
John Locke
JS Mill
Mary Collstonecraft
John Rawls
Betty Friedan
early classical liberalism
- revolutionary potential
- negative liberty
- minimal state
- laissez-faire capitalism
revolutionary potential
- John Locke
- a government should exist consensually, and a state should be driven by the representative of the people
- associated with England’s Glorious Revolution
positive liberty / social justice general
more modern idea (late 19th century)
the nature of modern economics meant that individuals were increasingly subject to forces beyond their control.
John Locke
- “the father of liberalism” - classical liberalism
- “Two Treatises of Government”
- rejected the ideas of “the divine right of kings”. the state was created by man and should serve people’s interest with their consent
- there was a “natural society” that was individualistic but contained “natural liberties and rights”, before the state
- social contract theory
- seperation of powers and religious tolerance
- no modern democracy, outdated ideas of equality
john locke analogy
no farmer = the animals hurt eachother
but what stops the farmer from abusing the animals
= shows the need for a limited government.
mary wollstonecraft
- first wavefeminist writer
- “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”
- keys to women reaching their potential were equal education, opportunities, legal protections
- marriage should be between two equals. male tyranny over wives is bad, just as tyranny of tyranny of the state is wrong
- supported American and French Revolutions and the constitutional defence of individual rights but stressed this should be for men and women
JS Mill
- link between classical and modern liberalism = some state intervention to help the poor
- favoured inheritance tax as wealth passed through generations gave unfair advantages
- humanity looked to improve human civilisation.
- Govt intervene as little as possible but later modified his views to accept the state must intervene to help individuals achieve developmental individualism (what people can become, not what they are).
- On Liberty
- harm principle and negative liberty
- tolerance even of the minority,
negative and positive liberty
negative
TH Green then develops positive liberty
john rawls
- A Theory of Justice
- everyone should be guaranteed a life worth living, builds on natural rights
- modernised idea of social contract theory by adding socio-economic aspects
- natural rights
- advocated for redistribution of wealth to give balance of opportunity = rational opinion. not socialist, narrows wealth gap not ensuring absolute equality of outcome
- rejected both communism and unregulated capitalism - looking to “property-owning democracy”
betty friedan
- second wave feminist
- The Feminine Mystique
- women are held back from reaching their potential by societal attitudes and laws
- pushed for enforcement of anti-discriminatory laws by Fed govt through the National Organisation for Women
- “cultural channels” eg school and media + organised religion = Women have been socially conditioned to believe they should find fulfilment in being solely mothers and wives
- change should be pacifist and through insitutions
locke on human nature
positive - humans are rational and logical
“tabula rasa” - we are each born as a clean slate, not tainted
Mill on human nature
developmental individualism
human nature is not fixed, it is forever progressing to a higher level.
Rawls on human nature
mankind is selfish yet empathetic
veil of ignorance, humans will usually choose the most loving option
Friedan on human nature
- human nature has evolved in such a way that discourages self-advancement in women.
- cultural channels have developed, stifling the advancement of women who have been socially conditioned to believe fulfilment is only found in homemaker roles
Wollstonecraft on human nature
- rationalism is present in both gender
“the mind has no gender”
agreements and disagreements within liberalism on human nature
+ rationality
+ self-interest
+ empathy
- classical believe human nature is fixed, moderns think it is progressing to a higher level. eg Locke and neo-liberals eg Hayek think that humans are innately blessed with qualities
modern liberals - individuals along the concept of individuality can become XYZ once “enabled” to fulfil their potential
general liberals on human nature
Liberals see people as rational individuals, capable of perceiving their own interests and taking their own decisions. They stress the positive potential of human nature. People should be free to make the most of their talents, enjoying equality of opportunity. A good society is also one in which there is tolerance of different values, customs and beliefs.
john rawls on the state
advocated for an enlarged and enabling state to redistribute wealth and ensure equality of opportunity
mary wollstonecraft on the state
the monarchical state should be replaced by a republic which enshrines womens’ rights
JS Mill on the state
Developmental individualism - people should be free to develop their own talents etc without interference and further humanity.
Harm Principle - the state should only exercise authority to prevent harm.
locke on the state
The state must be representative and enable individual liberties. Protect life, liberty and property (not education etc)
friedan on the state
The state should intervene in education, job opportunity etc to promote the interests of women as society has been manufactured to stop them. The fairest thing would be to extend the same opportunity to women.
agreements and disagreements within liberalism on the state
+ there should be a state
+ should have basic powers to allow order and protection
+ should be representative democracy - power to remove and appoint
+ all agree the state should be limited
+ natural rights
- Rawls and Friedan advocate for the state to have more intervention to ensure equality of opportunity. BUT Locke and Mill think that the state’s presence is enough and should not entangle our lives
- Mill thinks “negative liberty”, minimal and individuals unchecked. BUT Friedan says “positive liberty”, state should be more extensive to enable an individual to reach potential
- also Mill, BF and Wollstonecraft say that women should be part of the state, but locke would disagree
liberalism general on state
- according to mechanistic theory - classical liberalism based on reason - people created the state to serve them and act in their interests
Liberals therefore believe in limited government to prevent abuse of power and limited civil liberties.
Mill on society
- tolerance of diverse views and feared tyranny of the majority. humanity looked to improve society and progress
Wollstonecraft on society
- society infantalised women and stifled individualism
Locke on society
before our current society, there was a natural society where there were natural rights and natural laws.
Mill on society
the best society is one where individuality coexists with tolerance and self-improvement
Friedan on society
society has remained chauvinistic towards women and women are complicit in this repression
disagreements within society
- Locke believed in franchise, but more for lower class men. BUT Friedan would push for broader equality esp in franchise
general liberals on society split by modern and classical
lassical liberals downplayed the importance of society, seeing it primarily as a collection of individuals pursuing their own interests. They advocated the concept of a meritocracy, whereby individuals succeed through their own ability and hard work. This entails a belief in the important of foundational equality, whereby individuals are entitled to the same legal and political rights.
Modern liberals believe hat this, on its own, is not enough to guarantee true social equality. People should still be free to make their own choices, but society is more than the sum of the individuals it contains. E.g. Some assistance by the state in combatting poverty is necessary to enable people to flourish and for a fair society to develop, in which inequality is minimised.
Locke on economy
state should respect natural rights to private property, as before the state there was a completely individualistic society which had natural liberties. INDIVIDUALISM!
rawls on economy
Free market capitalism should be tempered by the state’s obligation to advance its poorest citizens.
Wollstonecraft on economy
The economy should be opened up to women and it will be energised by womens’ enterprise.
Mill on economy
Laissez-faire economics! Vital to progress individual enterprise
Disagreements in liberalism over economy
Should the state encroach upon the liberties of the people? JS Mill and Locke would like to argue the state should pay no role in the economy and let it be as to not stifle individuality.
BUT Betty Friedan and John Rawls would like the state to play a larger role in the economy by opening it up to women and thus ensuring equality of opportunity.
general liberalism on economy split into classical and modern
Classical liberalism emphasises the individual which leads to a belief in free market principles, and that the economy is best served by limited intervention.
Modern liberals were more conscious of the failings of the market and argues state intervention was necessary to promote sustainable growth and to prevent social injustice eg large scale unemployment and poverty.
TH Green, LT Hobhouse on positive liberty/social justice
They argued that modern, advanced societies made a mockery of the idea that individuals were innately autonomous. The ideas that people were being so strongly affected by forces out of their control lead them to re-evaluate the idea of liberty- they wanted to make it a less negative concept. Instead, as it had been, freedom being the absence of restraint, it would now be seen as soemthing which was more co-operative and altruistic- with individuals helping other individuals. This approach- which helped others to help themselves would allow individuals to act in a way that would have been impossible had they simply been left alone. == POSITIVE FREEDOM
John Maynard Keynes - enlarged and enabling state
Said the state must “steer” the economy and manage demand so as to secure full employment. Without this individual liberty would be very difficult.
Beveridge report - enlarged and enabling state
William Beveridge
He was a liberal social scientist. Produced the Beveridge report in 1946 , which proved the bedrock of Britain’s post-war “welfare” state. Beveridge said that individuals in the post war world faced 5 giants threatening their freedom. Poverty, unemployment, poor education, poor housing and poor health care. He argued these could only be overcome by a major extension of state provision (like a national health service)
Hobhouse on constitutional reform
‘if the state is to be enlarged it must also be improved’ (ie through constitutional reform, codified constitution, electoral reform, devolution of power and a more elected House of Lords)
TH Green general
freedom should be understood in a positive sense. Freedom means the state should assist individuals to maximise talents. This could be achieved if society removed hereditary privilege and was more proactive against poverty eg ignorance, disease, housing. To be genuinely free, the removal of external restraints was sufficient to create a society of free individuals.
Hobbes then Isiah Berlin
Hobbes - provides the first definition of negative freedom (concept of freedom that defines itself as an absence of constraint)
Isiah Berlin developed this but described it as ‘an area within which a man can act unobstructed by others’ as there is an absence of obstacles.
edmund burke
-feared a widespread belief in natural rights would lead to social instability - the belief in equality he describes as ‘monstrous fiction’
Bentham
-rights arise from the actions of govts. The law creates rights rather than the other way round
-natural rights are ‘nonsense on stilts’
Von Hayek
- neoliberalism is the “third strand” of liberalism. wanted constitutional reform and a free market (eg Adam Smith)
- opposed to state intervention, favouring decentralised markets to maximise individual freedom and efficiency. criticised keynesian economics as unsustainable
- legal frameworks to limit executive power and prevent authoritarian overreach, opposed conservative social policies eg tax incentives for marriage
- critiqued “cradle to grace” policies eg NHS for forstering dependency and eroding individual responsibility. state paternalism incompatible with true freedom.
