Q4. What are the basic liberal assumptions? Outline the main ideas of the key classical authors?

Question 1

Elements of Classical Liberalism

Answer 1

• Thinkers of the Classical Antiquity and Enlightenment periods are the forefathers of what is today known as modern liberalism.
• the elimination of war is possible through government, most notably liberal democracies
• war is not natural and is instead avoidable
• Liberals see war as man-made, and in turn, see peace as the natural state of being.
• Liberals believe human nature functions similarly to real nature, assuming everything should work in harmony.
• For liberals it is important to understand how this world is arranged.
• Liberals do not say “the world works like this” they say “the world should work like that.”

Question 2

Classical Liberalism thinkers (x6)

Answer 2

• Plato
• Aristotle
• St. Augustine
• Thomas Aquinas
• Locke
• Kant

Question 3

Plato

Answer 3

• labeled by many as being anti-liberal because of his negative views on government and democracy, has shown that knowledge persists, and through this, violence may be avoided.
• Instead of seeing war as inevitable, he sees it as a result of poor management. “At last I came to the conclusion that all existing states are badly governed and the condition of their laws practically incurable, without some miraculous remedy and the assistance of fortune.”
• Plato’s work “The Republic” is aligned with authoritarianism where he proposed a utopian society led by philosopher-rulers who would govern based on reason and the common good with strict control over various aspects of citizens lives.
• Plato talks about how the world SHOULD work.

Question 4

Aristotle

Answer 4

• human beings, while capable of self-control and self-governance, are naturally selfish.
• He says “man is by nature a political animal.”
• highlights the role which nature plays in fate.
• He uses masters and slaves as an example, describing how fate has chosen whether one is born to rule, or rather, born to be ruled. He points out that this relationship will only work if the master cares for the needs of the slave, otherwise the slave will vanish. In this respect, the same can be said about a political ruler and its people.
• **Wrote “Politics.” **
• He emphasized the importance of a balanced and moderate political system advocating for the middle class and the rule of law.
• He believed in the idea of the “polis” or city-state, as a means of achieving the common good through the participation of citizens. Defines citizens, though does not include women or children.

Question 5

St. Augustine

Answer 5

• believes men wage war “to achieve peace with glory.” This is the **peace which he says “every nature desires.” **
• Unlike a realist, he does not believe war is the natural state of being, he instead sees peace, (labeled by Augustine as eternal life), **as a the natural state of being, and sees war as a way to get there. **
• To him, man and nature are inherently corrupt.
• Augustine’s theological and political thought centered on the** relationship between the individual and the state, **with an emphasis on the role of divine authority.

Question 6

Thomas Aquinas

Answer 6

• denies the notion that man is inherently corrupt (as said by Augustine) and instead seeks to use human reasoning to explain immoral behavior.
• He highlights the fact that humans have the agency to make choices, using this principle as the set of rules with which he tries to uncover under what conditions war might be deemed appropriate and acceptable.
• He emphasized the importance of natural law, which he believed was a moral framework inherent in human nature and discoverable through reason.
• recognized the importance of authority and the state

Question 7

Locke

Answer 7

• Enlightenment thinker.
• Focused on the rationality of government.
• Locke preached the concept of a social contract, where people give up some of their rights in exchange for protection (and ultimately happiness).
• To Locke, and unlike the thinking of Aristotle, all men are created free and equal. Because of this exchange between people and government, the people may choose to replace the existing government in power if they are not satisfied.
• For Locke, this explains how war may occur naturally, specifically revolutions.
• Locke’s state of nature where man is peaceful lies behind the idea of “popular consent and limits of sovereignty.”
• Famously, Locke’s ideas on people’s rights to posses life, liberty and property has made its way into the US constitution.
• says that governments are only legitimate when they protect these rights.
• His ideals have laid the foundation for modern liberal democracy, emphasizing the importance of a government’s consent from the governed and the protection of individual freedoms.

Question 8

Kant

Answer 8

• Enlightenment thinker.
• Supported the idea of abolishing war through the support for liberal states.
• Liberal States do not battle other liberal States.
• Kant supports and international order which will work to moderate and reduce anarchy.
• His moral philosophy seeks to explain how global interdependence will prevail.
• Kant’s ideas centered on the importance of individual autonomy and moral agency. He argued for the idea of a “categorical imperative” that emphasized universal moral principles, including the principle that individuals should be treated as ends in themselves, rather than as means to an end.
• Kant’s work on ethics, freedom, and the role of reason has greatly influenced liberal political philosophy and human rights theory, emphasizing individual dignity and the need for a just and rational social order.
• “Peace can be perpetual”