Q1 (b) Values and Outlook distinct from Democratic Traditions Flashcards
The values and outlook of liberalism are distinct from democratic traditions in the sense that liberalism is representative of individual liberty as opposed to democracy being representative of equality between individuals or institutions.
Classical liberals believe in the absolute freedom from restraint. That is, all humans are supremely free and should be absent from constraint by others, such as the state.
New liberals believe, however, that liberty ought to be defined in terms of equality of opportunity, and that a more equal society is a freer society.
The application of Bentham and Mill’s utilitarian theory of democracy to a capitalist society gave rise to liberal democracy. It was an attempt to link liberal principles with democratic equality.
In a liberal democracy there is conflict between the competing ideals of equality and liberty.
To be equal an individual’s liberty is at stake by the need to conform to the demands of society or the state.
Majoritariansim is a democratic principle where the inability to achieve universal agreement is settled according to the general will. However, minorities are not obligated to follow a law they did not support and individual autonomy is the only kind of legitimate society.
According to Rousseau laws carried out in accordance with the general will are accepted because they are either “the right or moral thing to do”.
Most liberals today believe that democratic states have the right conditions that allow individuals to follow and pursue interests according to their own desires.
By upholding the rule of law, an individual’s liberty is protected allowing them to develop and advance their own goals and objectives in the pursuit of what they consider themselves to be the good life.
Held (1996) argues that the state is a burden that individuals must endure in order to “secure their own ends”. However, he also argues that the state should be restricted and restrained to ensure individuals are afforded the maximum possible freedoms.
Therefore, he believes that the “creation and defense of a world in which free and equal individuals can flourish with minimum political impediment”, is the preoccupation of liberalism. Democracy is the governing tool of society that liberals use to ensure this goal.
