Ideologies - Liberalism

Question 1

Describe the ideals of John Locke. [6]

Answer 1

• Enlightement; championed a movement of anti-absolutist, anti-divine right monarchist states.
• Fundamentally believed in an optimistic state of nature; this would lead to an equally beneficial and free, cooperative state of nature.
• The state’s role is to uphold natural rights to create a state of law that is symmetrical to the state of nature. The ONLY ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IS TO PROTECT AND ENFORCE NATURAL RIGHTS.
• In “The Two Treatises of Government” (1689) contends that EVERYONE is born equal and is entitled to the same natural rights; those being to life, liberty, and property. State should never interfere with these
• Must be a government by consent in order to be legitimate. This was a LIMITED GOVERNMENT.
• The people consenting to being governed while the government protects their natural rights; this is the SOCIAL CONTRACT; either party breaking this results in being booted out.
• Locke disliked democracy because it harmed meritocracy.
• Locke believed chiefly in a MECHANISTIC THEORY; that humans created a government to serve their needs

Question 2

Describe the ideals of John Stuart Mill. [7]

Answer 2

• Stressed the role of education and believed in developmental individualism; that the state can help to realise
• Government by consent and wrote “On Liberty” (1859)
• Believed against overreaching state (proponent of mechanistic and night-watchman) - state’s only role to uphold natural rights
• “Harm Principle” - people are free to do whatever they want as long as no one else’s freedoms are violated
• Believed in laissez-faire economics and the “invisible hand” guiding market forces with limited state involvement
• Proponent for equality of opportunity
• Was against democracy as believed that giving uneducated people the vote could lead to “Tyranny of the Majority” - The minority’s will and natural rights could be violated by the government if they have too large a mandate and so only educated could vote

Question 3

Describe the ideals of Mary Wollstonecraft. [6]

Answer 3

• Believed that the fact that so many women were uneducated was hindering the progression and development of innovation and society as a whole
• First wave feminist; advocated for legal equality but not affirmative action
• Argued that women were having their natural right to freedom violated by society and state implying they were not rational and denying them the vote - violated Locke’s “government by consent”
• Argued that equality of opportunity remained theoretical until women had the same rights as men
• Believed women had to be educated in order to not have natural rights violated
• Quote: “the mind has no gender”
• Published “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”
• Argued women were complicit in their subjugation and was inspired by the French Revolution’s emphasis on gender equality

Question 4

Describe the ideals of Betty Friedan. [5]

Answer 4

• Friedan was a 2nd Wave feminist.
• She was strongly against any form of violence as a means of bringing about change; to her, change should be sought through the proceedings of a liberal state.
• Whereas Wollstonecraft only wanted legislative change, Friedan believed that equality had to be assured on a societal level.
• She also believed that women were held back by societal stereotypes; believed that there was a societal expectation of women to fill out certain roles.
• THIS, she believed, was the biggest impediment to female equality. She believed that in order to achieve EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, we needed to take AFFIRMATIVE ACTION in order to level the playing field.
• She wants to change the cultural expectation of women, and thus create equality of opportunity for women.

Question 5

Describe the ideals of John Rawls. [5]

Answer 5

• Believed in the “enabling state” to help redress inequality using progressive taxation
• Government’s role was to enable individuals to reach their full potential and provide for equality of opportunity
• Believed in Keynesianism (Keynesian capitalism)
• Interventionist state can prevent monopoly and help achieve equality of opportunity
• “Veil of ignorance” thought experiment revealed most would want to live in a society with a safety net
• “Difference Principle” - any inequality in society should only exist to benefit the least favoured in society