Modern Liberalism Flashcards
What is developmental individualism?
This looked to focus on what individuals could become rather than what they had already become. This was very important to Mill and became known as individuality
What debate did Mill’s work cause, forming a way for modern liberalism?
What is the precise nature of liberty? In order to liberate an individual’s potential, was it enough to simply leave them alone?
What are some of the features of modern liberalism?
-positive liberty/social justice
-enlarged and enabling state
-Constitutional reform/liberal democracy
-social liberalism
What is positive liberty/social justice as believed by modern liberalism?
- It was argued that modern societies make a mockery of the idea that individuals were innately autonomous as economics and society meant people were increasingly subject to socio-economic forces beyond their control. Such forces made it impossible to achieve individualism restricting their liberty
- Therefore, social justice and legal justice were now required for individuals to meet their full potential
- Now, instead of freedom being seen as merely the absence of restraint, it is more cooperative and altruistic, empowering individuals.
- This approach of helping others to help themselves would help some to act in a way that would have been impossible if simply left alone: known as positive freedom
What is an enlarged and enabling state as discussed by modern liberals?
according to modern liberals, only a larger state could repel the new socio-economic threats to freedom and individualism. Thinkers like John Rawls found themselves justifying an enlarged state in the name of liberty: more laws, more spending etc, embracing collectivism. (This was seen as turning their backs on classical liberals- John Rawls resisted such a thought as an enlarged state was the only way to guarantee equality of opportunity to enable individual freedom)
What did Rawls think was the only way to ensure a just society?
A significant redistribution of wealth via an enabling state, with extensive public spending and progressive taxation. He went out to prove this was not a surrender to socialism but perfectly consistent with liberal principles
How did Rawls prove his idea of progressive taxation was not giving into socialism?
He constructed a series of philosophical conditions. The first was the ‘original position’ where people were asked to construct a superior society, with questions based around wealth and power distribution. The second was term the ‘veil of ignorance’, whereby people had no preconception about their self or status in their new society
What was the outcome to Rawl’s experiment
Human nature being rational and empathetic would choose a society where the poorest members faired significantly better than in current society. Rawls argued this fairer society is one that individuals would choose and so wealth distribution was aligned with government by consent
Why was Rawl’s even more adamant that he wasn’t advocating for socialism and egalitarianism
Though individuals would want to improve the lot of the poorest, they would still want considerable scope for liberty and individualism and therefore significant inequalities in outcome. Hence, he was not arguing the gap between the richest and poorest should be narrowed
Why is constitutional reform wanted by modern liberals?
Because they want to extend the state, they are also keen to reform it. It also helps to update government by consent and change things people are unhappy with
What is Hobhouse’s quote about constitutional reform?
‘If the state is to be enlarged, it must also be improved’
What particular part of reform are modern liberals interested in?
the support for liberal democracy- completing the link between core liberal values and universal adult suffrage
Which parts of liberal democracy have liberals avoided, altered or shown little interest in?
Little interest in direct democracy for fear of tyranny of the majority and has seemed willing to dilute even representative democracy for ‘liberal values’. This has been demonstrated by the HRA, which transferred power from representatives to unelected judges as well as widespread enthusiasm for supranational bodies
What would modern liberals say about the 2016 Brexit vote?
Many would have seen it as tyranny of the majority and a vindication of Mill’s argument that such vital decisions were best left to a more liberally minded parliament. Others would have seen it as a renewal and a regaining of government by consent
What are the arguments that modern liberals have abandoned the principles of classical liberlism?
•Classical liberalism defined liberty as people being left alone (negative freedom). Modern liberals think individuals are not actually free unless they are actively enabled via interference (positive liberty).
•Classical liberalism championed a minimal state, whereas moderns champion a large, enabling state
•Classical liberalism was inclined to see taxation as ‘theft’ and sought to restrict it. Moderns liberals often see increased taxation as a key method for implementing positive freedom
•Classical liberalism favoured laissez-faire capitalism, whereas modern liberals favour Keynesian capitalism where the state sees to manage market forces
•Classical liberalism often prioritised the interests of property owners over democracy but modern liberals champion representative democracy
