liberalism - arguments Flashcards
TWE do liberals share similar views about human nature
largely disagree:
(human rationality)
Agreement
Mill – boundless potential of human rationality, Wollstonecraft extended this to include women
Individuals – freedom from arbitrary state control, liberal view of rationality = limited, nightwatchman government, mechanistic state – Locke – social contract – rational humans must be derived from the state.
All liberals believe state is necessary since human nature is rational and selfish
Disagreement
Modern Liberals – enabling state – welfare, humans would rationally want a more supported state
Classic Liberals – limited state – welfare would undermine human rationality
Rawls – veil of ignorance, humans rational rationally choose world where risk of individual suffering was minimised – ML
(centrality of the individual)
Agreement
All state decisions should be centred around the individual – centric
Wollstonecraft – foundational equality of individuals
Friedan – legislation and anti-discrimination laws to extend individual freedom – women
Tolerance of the individual
Realm of the individual – private behaviour left from state interference
Realm of the state
Mill – Harm Principle
Meritocracy – talented at top of hierarchy not social engineering equal society, capitalism
Disagreement
Classic liberal – egotistical individualism – fixed self-interested human nature
Mill ‘unless harm caused to others’, laissez faire – limited state interference
Negative freedom – freedom from state obligation
Modern Liberal – developmental individualism – education – more enabling Rawls – increased taxation, Keynesian economics – economic assistance needed to promote individualism, markets tendency to fail
Positive freedom – freedom to be an individual
Mill ‘moral crime’ to bring a child into existence without fair prospect
TWE do liberals believe in freedom in society
Largely disagree due to fundamental different views
Individualism
Agreement
Individual central – rationality, capability – society should tolerate what they do
Disagreement
How much society can and do support the individual to be free
CL – egotistical individualism – should not be interfered – mills ‘harm principle’ individual actions unregulated by societal norms fine if it doesn’t harm others – MAXIMUM FREEDOM
ML – developmental individualism – enabling conditions can help individual to flourish and experience greater freedom
Equality
Agree in forms of equality – equality of opps and meritocracy
Wollstonecraft – jobs and power should be open to all without discrimination
Disagreement
CL – atomistic no collectivist interest unless it suits individual, self-interest, agree to lockes social contract, state of nature w/o society so society shouldn’t take away these rights
Negative freedom
ML – there is a common good
Friedan – formal and foundational equality not enough – positive freedom, structural poverty doesn’t set majority of society free
True freedom not possible w/o others playing a role
Broader definition of equality of opportunity
Rawls – veil of ignorance – individuals choose same things – services and enabling conditions for equality.
capitalism
Agreement
Capitalist society = more freedom, formal equality = economic equality inevitable
Wollstonecraft once women achieved political rights engagement with market economy
Disagreement with regulation of market economy extent of negatives of capitalism
CL – laisse faire economics and invisible hand of the market
ML – accept market failure = punishes freedom, Keynesian economics – maintaining employment levels ensures individuals are free. Redistributed taxes = society taking fair share
Extent to economic regulation has knock on effect on freedom.
TWE do liberals agree over the role of the state and the economy
structure of the state
Agreement
Mechanism for individuals – Locke mechanistic theory
Support government by consent – checks and balances, Lockes social contract
Rationality = limited government as individuals are capable of rational thought – Rawls enabling state that is consented to
Acknowledge humans can be selfish and break social contract – state required as a neutral umpire between individual – necessary evil
Disagreement
Only modern liberals support an enabling state
Rawls – veil of ignorance – rational choice of risk for potential for suffering minimised
Welfare state
Mill – ‘moral crime’ state’s role
Context – rawls barriers to freedom with poverty levels in society
Cl
Nightwatchman state – enabling would curb freedom through taxation etc
Property rights
Context – kings shutting down parliament - locke
Capitalism
Capitalism
Agreement
Capitalism therefore a limit on state intervention
Meritocracy
Inevitable inequality
Disagreement
ML – Keynesian economics increase state intervention – markets tendency to fail = intervention
CL – laissez fair limited state – adam smith – invisible hand market ought to be left alone w/o govt interference influence Thatcherism and reyganism
human rationality
Agreement
State a creation of individuals rational by product – locke
Disagreement
Cl – egotistical individualism – human nature is fixed – locke
ML – developmental individualism – impact of state intervention to ensure individual fulfilment – human nature not fixed – mill
- New labour education, education education – mill education opens one to many opportunities states role in giving one education
