ML - Positive Freedom Flashcards
What TH Green believe?
That unrestrained pursuit of profit had given rise to new forms of poverty and injustice
What did Green do that followed JS Mill?
He rejected the idea that humans were essentially self seeking utility maximisers
How does Green have a more optimistic view of human nature?
He says humans have sympathy for one another and egoism is constrained by some degree of altruism
What is Greens conception of human nature influenced by?
Socialist ideas that emphasised the sociable and cooperative nature of humankind
What have Greens ideas been referred to as?
Socialist liberalism
How did Green challenge the liberal idea of negative freedom?
He said it was exploitation and “freedom to starve”
What did Green propose?
That freedom should be understood in positive terms
What does positive freedom recognise?
That liberty may be threatened by social disadvantage and inequality
What implications did Green’s positive equality have for the state?
A revised view of the role of the state
How did Green think the state can expand freedom?
By protecting individuals from the social evils that cripple their lives
What kind of state do modern liberals endorse?
An enabling state, exercising an increasingly wide range of social and economic responsibilities
What is the modern liberal view of the state a revision of?
Classical liberal theories, but not abandonment of core liberal beliefs
How does modern liberal distinguish itself from socialism?
It doesn’t place society before the individual
What did freedom ultimately consist of for Green?
Individuals acting morally
How could the state have a role in individuals acting morally?
It could not force people to be good but could provide the conditions in which they can make more moral decisions
