Chapter 9 Liberalism Flashcards
Core ideas and principles Individualism
Individualism - the preservation of individual rights and freedoms above any claims by the state or groupings within the society.
Locke believes in foundational equality: that man’s natural state was one of freedom.
Mill - developmental individualism, which separates the idea of the rights of individuals and how they might develop as individuals.
JL and JSM perceive individuals as capable of intellectually informed ideas but as self-interested and indifferent to each other.
Modern Liberalism dictates that classical liberalism underplays the inequality of society and that it is not equal as some have distinct advantages over others. John Rawls argues that one’s societal position are important when determining whether one succeeded. Negative freedom practiced by classical liberals exacerbates inequality further.
Attitudes towards individualism Classical vs Modern
- An individuals primary motivation is for egotistical individualism, which is concerned with maximising their own utility
However, modern liberals argue for positive freedom whereby the state practises a form of developmental individualism to help make society a fairer place.
- Freedom of the individual is sacrosanct, society should be atomistic.
However, Modern liberals broadly agree on the concept of self-reliance but argue that the state musts offer a ‘hand up’ if every individual is to achieve this goal.
- The state should be small, limited to maintaining law and order, protecting society from invasion, and formal equality.
However, the influence of modern liberalism’s ideas of developmental individualism can be seen as an expansion of the state’s involvement.
- Classical liberalism upholds life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that the state must protect
However, while modern liberals agree, they advocate for an interventionist state which would be able to guarantee these freedoms.
Core ideas and principles Freedom/Liberty
- Freedom has developed showing that it is connected with the law - JL where there is no law there is no liberty
- Freedom is a natural rights - JL asserts that the role of the government is to protect people’s right to life liberty and estate
- Absolute monarchies are illegitimate and Locke argued for a state constructed by social contract where individuals are governed by consent. This idea is based on the rationalistic proposition that individuals enter into a social contract to allow the state to act as a neutral arbiter.
- The state would practise limited government so that the individual might enjoy the maximum amount of freedom within a legal framework. This freedom is heavily emphasised in the economic sphere with laissez faire capitalism.
Key Thinker John Locke
Locke’s main ideas - Two treatise of Civil Government 1689
- the state is not created by God nor is the monarchy legitimised by the divine right. Rather the state is created by a social contract between rulers and the ruled.
- Before the state humans existed in a state of nature that was underpinned by desirable natural laws, natural rights, and natural liberties.
- Locke defined natural rights as ‘life, liberty and estate’. Natural rights are negative rights, the freedom from. For Locke, the government was only legitimate if it was legally protecting natural rights
- The ‘state of law’ would see the state resolve disputes more equitably than found in the state of nature.
- The state’s interference in society and the economy should be limited. This would insure that the state always represents the interests of the governed. The state would be limited under the principles of constitutionalism.
- Tolerance
Key Thinker JSM
System of logic 1843, The Subjection of Women 1869
- Mill argued for restraint by the state - Harm Principle is what allows for intervention.
- Mill distinguished between ‘self-regarding’ actions (such as religious worship or freedom of speech), which do not impinge on the freedom of others and should be tolerated. Other regarding actions such as violence do harm and restrict freedoms and should not be tolerated by a liberal state.
- Mill argued that the state should be tolerant of diverse opinions.
- Mill believed that individual liberty was essential for the development of individual creativity, culture, and intellect.
- Unlike earlier liberals, Mill argued that humans could always improve
- Opposed popular democracy and favoured representative democracy as the representatives would aggregate all the demands of individuals to create a broad consensus.
- Later Mill argued for state intervention in education to help realise individualism
State - classical liberals
- State is a necessary evil - while egotistical individualism within society and economy is key, thee state must protect ‘life, liberty, and estate’.
- The state derives legitimacy from the consent and social contract of the people. Monarchies which were said to receive legitimacy from divine right was an irrational interpretation of God’s will. The state should be based on rational rather than traditional ideas. Government should be limited in its power.
How will classical liberals limit government?
- limit power - power should be divided between different branches of government. The separation of powers would have the ability to act as a check on the others. The state should be based on government by consent through constitutional agreements and accountability through regular elections
- limit jurisdiction - individuals should be protected by law from actions which harm their individual liberty. Economically, government oversees enforcement of contracts, regulates monopoly power. The state should operate under rule of law and foundational equality.
- By limiting the electorate - classical liberals were in favour of a representative democracy, JSM believes that only those with an appropriate formal education should be allowed to vote, JSM feared tyranny of majority.
State - modern liberals
- developmental individualism requires that the state intervene in society and economy to assist the poor or those experiencing injustice. Mill advocates for mass education and a system in which votes would be withheld from the illiterate while university educated would receive multiple votes.
- The state should promote equality of opportunity through education and reductions in the influence of inherited privilege.
- The state should organise welfare to help those unable to defend themselves against deprivation.
- Rawls argues for the presence of the state to reduce social injustice.
- Friedan argues that the state is the structure in which to guarantee societal and economic equality for women
Rationalism
Rationalism enables the individuals to both define the best interests and make their own moral choices, free from external authorities such a as the state.
Rationalism means that they do not need tradition to guide them and instead they have more confidence in the intellectual ability to construct theories to create a progressive society.
Equality and social justice
Classical liberalism focused on foundational equality but largely ignored gender and racial inequality.
Wollstonecraft argued that women were denied equality in terms of property ownership and political representation.
Wollstonecraft argued that women were discriminated against within the workplace - continued by Friedan.
Modern Liberals argue that foundational equality in itself is not enough to guarantee equality of opportunity, and that a full welfare state will provide this.
Rawls used an abstract veil of ignorance too claim that if individuals were asked to choose what type of society and individual would prefer and were ignorant of their own circumstances they would choose a society with little inequality.
Rawls view of social justice is that capitalism justifies itself so long as it does not prosper from the expense of others.
Although society was a meritocracy it would produce unequal outcomes that need state intervention.
Key Thinker Mary Wollstonecraft
A vindication of the rights of women 1792
- positive view of human nature in which mean and women are equally rational.
- All citizens should enjoy equality under the law and be free from discrimination.
- Formal equality
- Women’s access to education
Key Thinker Betty Friedan
The Feminine Mystique 1963 ‘the problem that has no name’
- Friedan argued strongly for individual freedom. She believed individuals should be free to be able to achieve their potential.
- She believed that women were victims of restricted opportunities within society.
- Friedan was influenced by classical liberalism’s belief that if the state allowed equality of opportunity, then women’s individual efforts would triumph.
- Friedan was influenced by modern liberalism and believed an enabling state could assist women in freedom. It would provide equality of opportunity in both society and the economy.
Key Thinker John Rawls
A theory of Justice 1971
- Rawls key idea was justice as fairness, he believed everyone would agree to an enabling state if they were in the veil of ignorance
- An enabling state would provide a welfare state. Rawls argues that classical liberals would choose an intervening state that guaranteed equality of opportunity rather than a limited state that did not.
- To the idea of foundational equality Rawls added the need for social and economic equality. He argued that a just society must provide equality of opportunity for everyone and this can only be achieved through a larger state and progressive taxation.
Liberal Democracy
When JL was writing governments in Europe were ran by monarchies and autocratic elites. Locke’s principle is that liberal democracy is underpinned by the social contract.
Mill argues for weighted voting
- Supremacy of the people - classical liberals accept social contract without full representation. Modern liberals advocate for universal suffrage.
- Consent of the governed as legitimacy
- Common good - classical liberalism believes in the atomistic therefore any collective will is not supported. Developmental individualism and social justice base their version on more collective aims like a welfare state
- Value of the individual as rational and moral
- Political equality and civil rights
Tensions within Liberalism - freedom and the individual
Classical liberalism - views freedom in a negative sense, which involves freedom from constraint and interference.
JSM, a supporter of tolerance, argued that an individual’s actions should be unencumbered unless they directly affect others - harm principle
JL and JSM argue for egotistical individualism driven by self-reliance, self-interest and rationality. Minimum encroachment allows maximum development.
Modern liberalism - agrees with self reliance and individualism but advocates for the state to provide a hand up. The issue with negative freedom is that the lack of assistance only compounds social and economic disadvantages. Positive freedoms level the playing field.
