modern liberalism Flashcards
as the economy and society continued to develop in the Laye 29th and early 20th century modern liberal though began to ebeolve with thinkers going further than Mill to argue that
the state should take a more interventionaliist approach and actively work to mitigate the disparities and social injustices by industrialisation and free market capitalism
this shift was partly driven by the changing political landscape , with near universal manhood suffrage and the emergence of
socialist parties created a new working class electorate
liberal politicians recognised the need to appeal to these voters , balancing the
traditional liberal empahsis on individual rights with growing concerns about social welfare and economic equality
int he this content thinkers like T.H Green played a pivotal role in reshaping liberal philosophy , Green argued that realities and inequalities of industrialised society challenged the
classical liberal notion of individuals as wholly autonomous agents
Green argued that true freedom or liberty should be understood as more than just the absence of resritaint instead in should encompass the capacity to
fulfils ones potential - a concept layer termed positive liberty by Isaiah Berlin
Green and his contemporaries posited that the state should have a moral obligation to create conditions that would enable individuals to
release their potential thereby achieving true freedom
this included advocating for
education healthcare and social safety nets setting the stage for the development of the warfare state
in the early 20th century modern liberalism began to manifest in tangible political and economic policies making a shift towards a
more interventionist enabling state
a signfiicant milestone in the development was the introduction of the peoples budget in 1908 by the liberal government under
Asquith and David Lloyd George
This budget increased taxes on the wealthy to fund social welfare programs that dressed poverty and health issues among the working class including pensions for the elderly , unemployment and sickness insurance , it was a radical move that laid the foundational elements of the
modern welfare state , actualising modern liberals ideas of social justice and supporting those who were disadvantaged
the economic theory of John Mayne Keynes also developed in the 1920s and 1930’s , Keynes challenged the classical liberal belief of
laissez faire arguing that capitalist economies are prone to cycles of boom and bust leading to periods of mass unemployment and economic instability
Keynes advocated instead for active state intervention in managing economies suggesting that governments should regulate interest rates and increase public spending during
economic downturns to stimulate demand and mitigate the effects of recessions
Keynesianism gained significant traction as a response to the Great Depression especially in the unit states under
president Roosevelt new deal policies
These policies represented a dramatic shift in the tole of the state in economic affairs moving away from classical liberalism minimal state intervention to a
more active tole in economic management as espoused by modern liberalism
throughout the 20th century modern liberalism continued to evolve receiving its most comprehensive justification and implementation in the
post WWII era
this period saw influential thinkers like John Rawls and Betty Friedan developing and providing
robust philosophical justifications for modern liberalism
modern liberalism developed during this period to include constitutional reform to enhance democratic governance , social liberalism to address issues of civil rights and social equality and the practical application of these ideas in
the establishment of the welfare state in the UK
John Rawls provided a detailed justification and defence of modern liberalism in his seminal work of
” a theory of justice “
Rawls developed the concept and liberal justification for an enabling state that used progressive taxation and substantial public spending to establish a robust safety net , this framework was designed to facillitate
true positive freedom for all individuals ensuring not just negative freedom from interference but also the capacity to utilise ones freedom effectively
Rawls support for kyenseian economics was also clear in his advocacy for state intervention in managing
economic cycles and promoting general welfare , recognising the limitations of laissez faire capitalism
in defending this modern liberal approach , Rawls emphasised that it was not a ‘ surrender to socialism ‘ instead argued that redistributing wealth within a capitalist framework and creating a society where
the poor and disadvantaged are supported was both rational and consistent with liberal values
for Rawls such a society enables all individual regardless of their socio-economic states to exercise their
individualism and enjoy genuine freedom
Rawls justified this through his ‘veil of ignorance’ thought experiment that asks individuals to design a society without any knowledge of their own position with it , Rawls theorised that under this rational individuals would create a society that
safeguards the least well off , ensuring a fair distribution of resources and opportunities
in ATOJ he wrote
” THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE ARE CHOSE BEHIND A VEIL OF IGNORANCE “
this approach Rawls argued would lead to a just society where freedom and equality are not only promised by actively realised for everyone thus
encapsulating the essence of a modern , liberal and just society
the post WWII period in the UK can be seen as a key example of the application of
modern liberal principles
central to this transformative period was the implementation of the Beveridge report which laid the foundation for the modern welfare state , the establishment of the
NHS in 1948 and the expansion of the welfare state through various social security measures that ensured a safety net for the unemployed , elderly and other vulnerable groups . EXEMPLIFIED a shift towards a more interventionist enabling state that works to enable all of citizens to exericse their rights = positive freedom
Also the impenetation of progressive taxation and the implementation of Keynesian economics thus showing
modern liberal ideas , and departure from classical liberal minimal state
social liberalism emerged as a crucial support of modern liberalism in the seocond hand of th 20th century , giving strong support to
campaigns for greater racial and sexual equality
this development in liberal thought emphasise not just formal equality but also the need for
active measures to address deep rooted societal prejudices and structural equalities
Betty Friedan was instrumental in articulating the challenges faced by women in her work
” the feminine mystique “
Friedan explained how women were restrained not only by a lack of formal equality but also by
pervasive societal attitudes that underminded their rationality and autonomy
Friedan highlighted how these prejudices were perpetuated though cultural norms and practices , effectively denying women the true freedom and potential for
self realisation , that liberalism believed was innate to all humans
Friedan embodying the principles of social liberalism called for state invention to dismantle these barriers she also advocated for the enactment of laws to prohibit
discrimination based on gender and supported measure to ensure that women not only had equal rights on paper but also genuine equality of opportunity to succeed
Friedans arguments extended the discussion of rights and individualism to include the impact of
societal factors on an individuals ability to exercise their freedoms fully
by promoting state action to correct these imbalances , Friedan and other social liberals sought to protect and enhance indviduals natural rights and indvdiudalism , recognising that
true freedom and equality are achievable only in a society that actively works to eliminate both legal and societal forms of discrimination.
constitutional reform became a significant focus of modern liberalism in the 20th century with liberal in Britain advocating for various changes to enhance an moderns the country’s democracy , they believed that
a more democratic and accountable system was essential for upholding the liberal ideals of fairness , representation and indvidual rights in a. modern context
one key are of advocacy wad electoral reform , liberals agreed for change to the voting system to ensure much fairer more proportional representation belivieing that the existing first past the post system often failed to
accurately reflect the will of the electorate
reform of the upper HOL was also a s significant liberal cause , the HOL due to their unelected body was seen as
anachronism that contradicted democratic principles
Liberals also promoted reform to better protect indvidual rights in the the UK in particular
from the state
