Liberalism - Key thinkers Flashcards
(Thinker 3) J.S Mill - Key ideas
- Human nature is not fixed (rational): it is forever progressing to a higher level.
- Greater representative democracy, mindful of minority rights.
- The best society = individuality, tolerance and self improvement.
- Laissez-faire capitalism vital to progress, individual enterprise and individual initiative.
- Human nature has the capacity for progress
- Property is the prism through which individuals develop their potential providing nurture in society to develop within civilised communities with opportunities
- State should tolerate all actions and opinions unless they violate the harm principle - individuals can do what they want unless it harms the rights and freedoms of other individuals (harm principle)
- No aristocracy in state
- Human nature is not fixed (rational): it is forever progressing to a higher level.
- Greater representative democracy, mindful of minority rights.
- The best society = individuality, tolerance and self improvement.
- Laissez-faire capitalism vital to progress, individual enterprise and individual initiative.
(Thinker 3) J.S Mill - Key Quotes
- “Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign” - individualism
- “It is important that every one of the governed should have a voice in the government.” - constitutionalism
(Thinker 3) J.S Mill - Associated strands
- Classical LIberal, reflected the view with the Enlightenment.
- Economic freedom provided individuals with the protection of rights and promoted the ideology of utilitarianism which highly influenced classical liberalism.
- However, Mill’s political ideas are often said to represent ‘transitional liberalism’ and ‘developmental individualism.’
- He saw liberty not as a ‘natural right’ and an end in itself but as the engine of ongoing human development - represented parts of early classical liberalism
(Thinker 3) J.S Mill - examples of ideas
- Increased representation in Congress and Parliament is important
- Expanding Franchise to minority groups
- Diversity in Politics (MPs from differing backgrounds)
(Thinker 1) John Locke - Key Ideas
- Government by consent - the state is not God’s creation, and there is no divine right to govern; ordinary people are not subjects of the state with a quasi-religious obligation to obey a monarch - the true state is created by people to serve the people
- Natural rights - natural society served mankind well, described as the state of nature -
because he saw human nature as positive and guided by rationalism and society is underpinned by natural laws, liberties and rights - ‘State of law’ is designed to improve upon a tolerable situation by resolving disputes between
individuals more efficiently than it would under the state of nature - State of law / social contract theory - state is legitimate if it respects natural rights and laws ensuring that individuals are
not worse off than they would be under a state of nature - structures embody natural rights and liberties that came before;
Locke’s ideal state reflects the principle of citizen consent to accept the states’ rulings in return for improving their situation (social contract theory) - Limited / minimal government - because of its contractual nature, the state has to embody this principle;
always representing the interests of the governed and this is confirmed by separation / dispersal of powers
(Thinker 1) John Locke - Key Quotes
1) “Where laws do not exist, man has no freedom.” - government by consent, rational people give government consent and legitimacy,
and this can be removed if the social contract is broken - the government protects property and liberty and is limited and chosen by consent from the people
2) “The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.”
3) “What worries you, masters you.”
4) “Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”
5) “Nobody can give more power than he has himself; and he that cannot take away his own life, cannot give another power over it.” - Negative liberty
(Thinker 1) John Locke - Associated strands
- Seen as the central figure in classical liberalism
- Importance to classical liberalism lies in the questions he raised about human nature and the type of state that is appropriate
(Thinker 1) John Locke - Applicable ideas
- Belief in minimal state, government should only protect liberty, social contract - elections
(Congress Midterms are often a reflection on the social contract with the President being broken / with legislators), Brexit Referendum - Negative liberty - taxation shouldn’t be too high - oppose national insurance hike, shouldn’t restrict freedom of speech such as
Trump being restricted on Twitter - Limited government - individualised healthcare in the US, gun and abortion laws are state decided
- Natural rights - foundational equality, everyone is born with a right to education, healthcare, everyone has citizenship
- NHS - would not have been in support of it as it was paid for out of people’s taxes.”
(Thinker 2) Mary Woolstonecroft - Key Ideas
- 1759 - 97
- Key figure in first-wave feminism
- Reason: Focused on education, teaching reason to females + children
- Formal Equality: Both men and women are rational. Women appear inferior to men since they aren’t as educated. Men and women are equal in the eyes of God (her religious ideas separate her from other liberal thinkers)
- The enlightenment’s optimistic view of human nature and the assumption it was guided by reason should apply to all humans regardless of gender
- In 18th century england both society and state implied women were irrational and thus denied individual freedom / formal equality (women were denied land ownership or remunerative employment and often sacrificed their little individualism to become wives)
- Women being unable to vote was a violation of “government by consent”
- By failing to acknowledge women’s rights, nations like england were limiting their stock of intelligence, wisdom and morality
- Welcomed American Revolution 1776 and French Revolution 1789
- Attacked Burke’s critique of the French Revolution in ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Men’ 1790
- Support for Republican government and formal equality
- Constitutional defence of human rights
- Applauded French Revolution’s emphasis upon ‘citizens’ and its apparent indifference to gender difference
- Argued formal education should be made available to as many women and men as possible to allow them to develop their rational faculties and recognise the absurdity of illiberal principles like the divine right of kings, and realise their individual potential
- Negative liberty - women should be prioritised as
individuals, and that all should be given an education
to release their innate powers of reason - Treatment of women during the enlightenment period
was an affront to reason and the indvidiual liberty
of half the adult population - She contested that women were not just emotional
creatures suited to marriage and motherhood but Hanoverian
society aimed to keep women in listless inactivity and stupid acquiescence instead of developing potential - Women and men should have a formal education to release innate powers of reason
(Thinker 2) Mary Woolstonecroft - Key Quotes
- “The mind has no gender” - supporting equality between the genders
- “Such arrangements are not conditions where reason and progress may prosper” (By failing to acknowledge women’s rights, nations like england were limiting their stock of intelligence, wisdom and morality)
(Thinker 2) May Woolstonecroft - Associated Strands
- Classical liberalism
- Strongly linked to feminist ideology which has great influence at the moment
(Thinker 2) Mary Woolstonecroft - Applicable ideas
- She laid the foundation for second and third wave feminism (leading to gender equality in the work place, Abortion Act, etc.)
(Thinker 4) John Rawls - Key Ideas
- American philosopher who provided a model of how things are unfair and how we may fix them
- A Theory of Justice - things as they are now are unfair, shown in wagefigures, but it is hard to take this seriously because of the presence of the American Dream and meritocratic encouragement
- Prevented the top of society having to reform society because they emphasise that it is the people’s
fault they are there - Society does not become fairer because those who suffer inequality ignore what could have been
- Veil of Ignorance - in a conscious, intelligent state before birth but we have no idea what circumstance we will be born into; if we knew nothing about where we end up, what society would we feel safe to enter - there shouldn’t be a lottery on life, and what needs to be fixed is known
- Good education, health etc and we know what society we want but we are not focused on creating it
because society already exists - We should think about making policy that creates a society that our children will be safe in
- The state, equality of opportunity working
- State expansion of an enabling state
Two principle objectives of Theory of `Justice
- First: ‘foundational equality’ to ensure just society. Only provided by redistribution of wealth via an enabling state with public spending.
- Second: redistribution of wealth is not a ‘surrender to socialism’. Philosophical conditions: ‘the original position’ individuals construct superior society, wealth and power.
- Then ‘veil of ignorance’ no preconceptions about the sort of people they might be in this new society.
- human nature would lead individuals to choose society that would fare poorer people better.
- An enlarged state higher taxation.
- Denied fresh justification for socialism no egalitarianism, still wanting considerable scope for self fulfilment hence inequalities of outcome.
- ‘Enabling state’ to make sure governments are fair
the state should enable less fortunate individuals to advance so can improve society as a whole
(Thinker 4) John Rawls - Key Quotes
“The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance” - Theory of Justice
“The sense of justice is continuous with the love of mankind” - Theory of Justice
“Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought” - Theory of Justice
- Genuinely focused on the plight of the poor
- If everyone is at the same disadvantage we can all benefit in equality - The difference principle
- He aimed to reconcile individual liberty with social justice
(Thinker 4) John Rawls - Associated strands
Modern liberalist- advocating an enabling state.
