Liberalism

Question 1

What is liberalism?

Answer 1

The political ideology that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy and a free enterprise.

Question 2

Liberals stress the importance of the individual over any social or collective group. What’s the main liberal view on individuals?

Answer 2

People shouldn’t be treated as instruments to achieve a particular goal and should be regarded for their own value.

Question 3

Individualism is interpreted in two different ways. What are they and what type of liberals believe in them?

Answer 3

Egoistical liberalism - Classical liberals believe in this and it’s the view that people are essentially self-seeking and self-reliant and also minimises the importance of society entirely.

Developmental liberalism - Believed by modern liberals it plays down the pursuit of self-interest and wants to see each individual in society grow and flourish with the support of state intervention to help the disadvantaged.

Question 4

Explain another idea of the importance of the individual?

Answer 4

Another idea is tolerance. The is one of the natural rights that liberals believe everyone should have and individuals mustn’t have it taken away from them. For example if somebody is homosexual and wants to marry someone of the same sex, they should be allowed to do so.

Question 5

What’s the most important liberal value?

Answer 5

Freedom.

Question 6

Although freedom is an important liberal value, why do all liberals agree that it must be exercised under the law?

Answer 6

To protect people from interfering with each other’s rights.

Question 7

What did John Locke say about exercising freedom under the law?

Answer 7

“The end of law isn’t to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom, where there’s no law, there’s no freedom.”

Question 8

The concept of liberty was developed from utilitarianism in the early 19th century. What did the leading thinker, Jeremy Bentham argue?

Answer 8

Each individual can decide what is his or her own interests. Human actions are motivated mainly by a desire to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. Governments shouldn’t prevent people from doing whatever they want unless it threatens others.

Question 9

What is positive freedom?

Answer 9

Individuals should be able to control their own destiny in order to develop personal talents and achieve self-fulfilment.

Question 10

What is negative freedom?

Answer 10

Thought of by John Stuart Mill in the 19th century, individuals should only be subject to external restraint when their actions potentially affect others as opposed to only themselves.

Question 11

What do liberals know the state as?

Answer 11

“The necessary evil.”

Question 12

Despite being suspicious of the state, why do liberals still want to keep the state?

Answer 12

Because they recognise its necessity to avert disorder and protect the poor and vulnerable.

Question 13

Liberals also want the state to have a limited government, what exactly is this?

Answer 13

The separation of powers so as to not concentrate power in one institution. The executive, legislative and judiciary would all be separate from each other.

Question 14

Liberals also support constitutionalism, what is this?

Answer 14

Government in which power is distributed and limited by a system of laws.

Question 15

Liberals want a Bill of Rights, what is this?

Answer 15

A clear statement of citizens’ rights and defines citizens’ relationship with the state. In the US Constitution the first ten amendments are known as the ‘Bill of Rights’.

Question 16

Since liberals are suspicious of the concentration of state power, what is another thing they support?

Answer 16

Devolution from the central government to give smaller countries their own parliament or assembly. This happened in the late 90’s in the UK with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Question 17

What does rationalism mean in liberalism?

Answer 17

It holds that individuals should be free to exercise their judgement about their own interests without needing to be guided by external authorities.

Question 18

What do liberals think about decisions that people make?

Answer 18

Whether it’s a good or bad decision, the individual must take responsibility.

Question 19

What do liberals have faith in?

Answer 19

Science and reason rather than religion, tradition or authority.

Question 20

What do liberals think should come before conflict?

Answer 20

Reasoned debate.

Question 21

And who did they support in the 20th century because of these reasons referring to rationalism?

Answer 21

The United Nations and European Union.

Question 22

Liberals place their emphasis on what type of equality and what does it mean?

Answer 22

Equality of opportunity - People have different abilities and potential. There may be different outcomes but individuals should be free to reach their potential.

Question 23

Classical liberals based their beliefs on foundational equality, what is this?

Answer 23

Where everybody has the same legal and political rights in society, ensured by equality before law and equal voting rights.

Question 24

Why do some classical liberals believe that inequalities are sometimes good?

Answer 24

Inequalities can act as an incentive for people to try better themselves and work harder.

Question 25

What’s meritocracy?

Answer 25

People should be rewarded for their efforts and abilities rather than status at birth.

Question 26

What are the 3 principles that liberal democracy is based off of?

Answer 26

1) Free elections.
2) Limitations on the power of the state.
3) Respect for civil liberties and toleration or different viewpoints.

Question 27

What’s a social contract?

Answer 27

An agreement in which people must agree to be governed and give up some freedom for security in order for society to run smoothly.

Question 28

Why do liberals argue to protect minority rights?

Answer 28

Because they believe excessive democracy lead to the ‘tyranny of the majority’ where the voter majority have a huge advantage over the others that minorities are often suppressed and their individual freedom is taken away.

Question 29

How did the “Beveridge Report” come around?

Answer 29

The government asked the leading civil servant, Sir William Beveridge to identify the main problems in society. He came up with want, ignorance, disease, squalor and idleness.

Question 30

Is modern liberalism a contradiction of classical liberalism? Give 3 arguments as to why it could be.

Answer 30

1) Classical liberals fear the state whereas modern liberals want to use it to promote social justice.
2) Classical liberals believe in the most minimal of states and modern liberals think that solution doesn’t protect the vulnerable.
3) Classical liberals believe in unlimited laissez-faire capitalism whilst modern liberals believe that some government management is needed to control it right.

Question 31

Also give 3 arguments as to why it can’t be a contradiction.

Answer 31

1) Both traditions want to expand the freedom of the individual.
2) Both agree with decentralising the government’s power.
3) Both wish to protect the citizen’s rights.

Question 32

Who are the 5 liberal thinkers?

Answer 32

John Locke, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, John Rawls and Betty Friedan.

Question 33

What book and belief was John Locke famous for?

Answer 33

Two Treatises of Government (1690). In this he argued for the concept of limited government in that both rulers and the people must be subject to the law

Question 34

What did John Locke base his philosophies on?

Answer 34

Natural rights and natural laws. People are equal in rights and must respect each other’s rights with the government ruling in accordance with those natural rights.

Question 35

John Locke believed in the social contract. What was this?

Answer 35

The idea that society, state and the government are based on a theoretical voluntary agreement. People should accept the government’s authority as long as it fulfils its part of the contract to where the government must protect property rights.

Question 36

What did that contract also involve?

Answer 36

That the government should exercise tolerance in religious matters and not interfere with private matters.

Question 37

Locke was very much a classical liberal. How do we know this?

Answer 37

Because he believed that no rational person should submit to arbitrary rule as it wouldn’t serve everyone’s interests. This is the classical liberal view that the state should serve the individual.