Reason Flashcards
What was the central theme of the age of enlightenment?
The central theme of the age of enlightenment was the desire to release humankind from its bondage to superstition and ignorance, and unleash ‘age of reason’.
Who were some of the key enlightenment thinkers?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, Adam Smith and Jeremy Bantham.
To liberals, what are human beings and what are they capable of?
Human beings are rational, thinking creatures and are capable of defining and pursuing their own best interests.
What do liberals have a strong bias against in terms of individuals making their own decisions?
Paternalism.
Liberals do not believe that humans are infallible, but the belief in reason builds into liberalism a strong bias against paternalism as this prevents individuals from making their own moral choices and learning from their mistakes.
What does reason emancipate humankind from?
Reason emancipates humankind from the grip of the past and from the weight of customs and traditions.
What does emancipate mean?
The fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation.
By what means are conflicts to be settled by?
Conflicts are to be settled through debate and negotiation. Force and aggression only to be used in last resort.
From the liberal perspective, when is the use of force justified?
The use of force is justified either on the grounds of self defence or as a means of countering oppression.
