Liberalism

Question 1

How did liberalism emerge?

Answer 1

Liberalism emerged in reaction to the rule of monarchies and those privileged. It was a reaction by the educated middle classes, to give themselves better opportunities and wider liberties.

Question 2

What do all liberals believe about the state?

Answer 2

> All liberals fear the state: ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ - Acton. >Liberals accept that the state is there to avoid disaster and protect the vulnerable.
Liberals will often support devolution to avoid a centralisation of power - decentralisation of government​ -> Blair initiated a period of devolution to Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Question 3

What do modern liberals beleive about the enabling state?

Answer 3

Enabling state: rawls supports this as it makes sure people’s opportunities aren’t restricted by their status at birth

Question 4

M: What is the importance of beveridge reports and asquith gov?

Answer 4

asquith gov - implemented pensions, NI. -
> Beveridge report - This became the foundation for the post-war welfare state that would be introduced in order to cure the ills the country was suffering from,
>Beveridge argued liberty should be available to all, but that this would not be possible if the individual was held back by the ‘five giants’:​ Poverty, lack of education, ill health, poor living conditions and unemployment. >Beveridge argued ‘a starving man is not free because, until he is fed, he cannot have a thought for anything but how to meet his urgent physical needs.’

Question 5

M: What did TH green argue about state intervention?

Answer 5

State intervention should be expanded to both state and economy to create social justice and equality

Question 6

M: What did modern liberals believe about welfare?

Answer 6

TH green: welfare state should help and protect unemployed, sick and elderly - people should pursue the common good and not their own interests -> Mill that an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and wrong if it tends to produce the reverse of happiness—not just the happiness of the performer of the action but also that of everyone affected by it. The greatest good for the greatest number

Question 7

M: Why did Friedan reject limited state?

Answer 7

Friedan rejects Locke’s idea of a limited state as she believed in contributed to the discrimination towards women and called for more state intervention to bring about more equality

Question 8

M: What is Mills theory of ‘utilitarinism’ and how does affect state intervention?

Answer 8

Mills supported the principle of ‘utiliarianism’, which allowed for more state intervention because you should take action that can help you reach happiness through the positive freedom provided by the state. Only an interventionist state can guarantee these freedoms.

Question 9

M: What did Keynes believe?

Answer 9

Keynes went further, arguing that the state should manage the economy to ensure full employment.

Question 10

C: What is a nightwatcher’s state?

Answer 10

A ‘nightwatchers state’ - gov should enforce contracts and provide protection and security - gov should avoid get involved in economy or society

Question 11

C: What is Locke’s social contract theory?

Answer 11

Locke - social contract - the gov arises contractually from the people, state is there to protect people rights and freedoms. -> ‘gov should be the servant of the people’

Question 12

C: What is the classical liberalism view on minimal states?

Answer 12

“where laws do not exist, man has no freedom.” -> Minimal state – focusing on law and order and protecting society from invasion and respecting formal equality (equality under the law and treatment in society).-> minimal state intervention shouldn’t infringe on the rights and individualism of the people, The gov should safeguard the natural rights of liberty and happiness

Question 13

C: What did Mill believe about voting?

Answer 13

• mill - educated people 2 votes: Mill believed only those with appropriate education be allowed to vote and that popular democracy would lead to ‘tyranny of the majority’.​

Question 14

C: 19th C – Social Darwinism

Answer 14

natural selection applied to society. Herbert Spencer in ‘Man Versus the State’ (1884) coined the phrase ‘survival of the fittest

Question 15

C: role of the state?

Answer 15

Individuals protected against actions that might harm their liberty. Economically, the state protects property rights, enforces legal contracts, and regulates monopolies.

Question 16

C: seperation of power, democracy?

Answer 16

Separation of powers – legislative, executive and judiciary should be separate to act as a check on each other. ​Government by consent – regular elections
clear checks and balances in place to prevent abuses of power.

Question 17

M: keynesian economics:

Answer 17

maintain high employment, promote growth, lower inflation and can help to limit injustice.

Question 18

M: welfare state can help create?

Answer 18

welfare state - state intervention in economy can help create social justice

Question 19

M: veil of ignorance and why is it needed for the welfare state?

Answer 19

• behind our ‘veil of ignorance’ - everyone wants an society with more equality - this why we need for welfare state

Question 20

M: do liberals want to abolish capitalism?

Answer 20

behind our ‘veil of ignorance’ - everyone wants an society with more equality - this why we need for welfare state

Question 21

c: what is Adam Smith’s idea of ‘free market’

Answer 21

free market - adam smith - ‘invisible hand of the market’, self-interest drives the economy, tariffs and duties should be avoided by the gov as the stifle growth.

Question 22

C: What is samuel smiles ideas about the economy?

Answer 22

samuel smiles - all classes are self - reliant, so no state intervention or dependancy culture

Question 23

C: welfare state?

Answer 23

• welfare state causes dependency culture
• wealth will trickle down to the less fortunate

Question 24

C: locke’s view of property ownership?

Answer 24

• Locke - property ownership is a right and should be defended by the state

Question 25

M: developmental individualism

Answer 25

Developmental individualism - enabling individuals to enjoy personal growth and empowerment (TH green) - ensuring education and allowing people who born with less.

Question 26

M: TH Green's view on common interest

Answer 26

‘Individuals have social responsibilities not individual ones’

Question 27

M: Why is everyone not the same?

Answer 27

Rawls argued that race, gender, social class, innate intelligence etc. were hugely important in determining whether someone thrives in society

Question 28

M: opposition to egotistical individualism

Answer 28

> Modern liberals such as TH Green criticise classical liberalism’s egotistical individualism (doesn’t go far enough, especially for those already disadvantaged) and instead promote developmental individualism.

Question 29

M: what is an example of rational thought?

Answer 29

Rawls’ ideas of equality and social justice

Question 30

M: all people are rational including women ...

Answer 30

so women should be able to vote have equal rights

Question 31

C: Egotistical individualism:

Answer 31

self-reliance and self-interest

Question 32

C: what do all individuals have at birth?

Answer 32

> All individuals are unique and have equal worth. > Individuals are born with natural rights.

Question 33

C: Individuals shaped by?

Answer 33

> - Locke also believed that individuals are shaped by their rational interest.

Question 34

C: Human nature

Answer 34

Locke and Mill thought individuals were capable of intellectually informed ideas but as self-interested and mutually indifferent to each other

Question 35

C: Reason's effect on behaviour

Answer 35

> Locke: Reason must be our last Judge and Guide in everything. Faith in reason is linked to a progressive society where personal development promotes social advancement.

Question 36

M: organic society

Answer 36

> Green developed this to society was organic and that there was a common ground and public interest co-existed with individual interests.

Question 37

M: what is society made out of ?

Answer 37

> society is more than the sum of the individuals. Some assistance is needed by the state – for instance to combat poverty -> Modern liberals like Rawls, however, believe that industrialised and urban societies are those where individuals are less autonomous and therefore require state support to be free (‘positive liberty’). They would support a Welfare State and social services.

Question 38

M: Society is Patriachal

Answer 38

Society is patriarchal and needs reforming (friedan), Society ‘infantilised’ women and this inhibited female individualism

Question 39

M: Equality of Opportunity

Answer 39

> Equality of opportunity - the key liberal belief that people have different abilities and potential and so they should all have equal chances to rise and fall. Equality of opportunity through education and reductions in inherited privilege.

Question 40

M: True equality

Answer 40

> They believe that true equality is not possible without social justice. However, they do not believe that total equality of outcome is either possible or desirable

Question 41

M: Rawls’ rationalistic ‘veil of ignorance’ argues

Answer 41

Rawls’ rationalistic ‘veil of ignorance’ argued that individuals would choose a society that offered opportunities for the less fortunate to improve their condition

Question 42

C: society is a collection of

Answer 42

> Society is a collection of autonomous individuals - downplay society and focus on meritocracy.

Question 43

C: Individuality should coexist with

Answer 43

Individuality should coexist with tolerance and self-improvement​

Question 44

C: what predates the state?

Answer 44

Natural laws and natural rights of society predate the state

Question 45

C: Foundational equality?

Answer 45

> Classical liberalism is based on a belief in foundational equality — people are born equal. This implies a belief in formal equality: individuals should enjoy the same legal and political rights in society, ensured by equality before the law and equal voting rights in free and fair elections

Question 46

C: Meritocracy?

Answer 46

classical liberals believe that individuals with different talents should be rewarded differently. The resulting social inequality is beneficial for society because it gives people an incentive to work hard and make the most of their abilities. The good society is a meritocracy — one in which social position is determined by ability and effort.

Question 47

Rationalism

Answer 47

A belief that humans are rational and reasonable implies that there is no need for strong government and that instead individuals should be given as much freedom as possible.

Question 48

M: What does Rawls explain in 'theory of justice'

Answer 48

In his “Theory of Justice”, John Rawls explains that “The Harm Principle” isn’t enough when it comes to regulating freedom and he believes that freedom should be tempered with the freedom of all.

Question 49

M: Positive Freedom

Answer 49

> Positive freedom is defined as self-mastery/people control their own destiny but may need the state’s help to get there - help people to reach their potential - state intervention -> Therefore, classical liberals’ idea of negative freedom only makes these inequalities worse

Question 50

M: why reject negative freedom?

Answer 50

> reject negative freedom - as ‘self-interest’ doesn’t go far enough and can lead to inequalities

Question 51

M: sexual discrimination

Answer 51

> Wollstonecraft and Friedan argued for a toleration of men towards women, calling for an end to sexual discrimination: Mill’s The Subjection of Women (1869) argued for votes for women.​ Wollstonecraft championed formal equality in society, which Friedan took further. > Friedan suggested that only through the state structure could women achieve equality, Friedan continued on Wollstonecraft’s themes, arguing for legal and economic parity and workplace equality of opportunity.

Question 52

M: state moral rights

Answer 52

> Mill moved from a classical approach to a modern approach when he suggested the state had a moral right to educate individuals

Question 53

M: foundational equality?

Answer 53

> For modern liberals, foundational equality doesn’t go far enough. To guarantee true social justice, individuals must have access to a full welfare state, including education, healthcare, minimum wage and welfare provisions.

Question 54

C: negative freedom

Answer 54

> Believe in negative freedom, linked to freedom of choice or privacy which can be expanded by restricting the state.

Question 55

C: reliance of state?

Answer 55

> Individuals should take more responsibility, and therefore, a reliance on the state undermines self-respect and fails to encourage enterprise.

Question 56

C: Social contract

Answer 56

– individuals are governed by consent with a limited government for maximum freedom

Question 57

C: respect of rights

Answer 57

> Locke focused on respecting alternative religions and political views, classical liberals, except Mill largely ignored gender and racial inequality -> In the 21st Century, the call has been to extend tolerance towards homosexuals and transgender individuals.

Question 58

C: Dependency culture

Answer 58

People succeed or fail based on their own efforts. The growth of a dependency culture is down to Reliance on welfare and unemployment.

Question 59

C: Harm principle

Answer 59

Harm principle: Mill broadened freedom by advocating freedom of speech, thought, and religion unless they pose a direct threat to others -> New neo-Liberals use this idea to justify taking illegal drugs, arguing it is their choice and not the state’s.