liberalism

Question 1

who are the 5 liberalism thinkers?

Answer 1

John Locke
Mary Wollstonecraft
John Stuart Mill
John Rawls
Betty Friedan

Question 2

Summarise how John Locke views human nature?

Answer 2

Human beings are rational, guided by the pursuit of self-interest, but mindful of others’ concerns

Question 3

Summarise how John Locke views the state?

Answer 3

The state must be representative based on the consent of the governed

Question 4

Summarise how John Locke views society?

Answer 4

Society predates the state: there were ‘natural’ societies with natural laws and natural rights

Question 5

Summarise how John Locke views The economy?

Answer 5

state policy should respect the ‘natural right’ to private property and arbitrate effectively between individuals competing for trade and resources

Question 6

Summarise how Mary Wollstonecraft views human nature?

Answer 6

Rationalism defines both genders: intellectually, men and women are not very different

Question 7

Summarise how Mary Wollstonecraft views The state?

Answer 7

The monarchial state should be replaced by a republic which enshrines women’s rights.

Question 8

Summarise how Mary Wollstonecraft views society?

Answer 8

Society ‘infantilised’ women and thus stifled female individualism

Question 9

Summarise how Mary Wollstonecraft views The Economy?

Answer 9

A free-market economy would be energised by the enterprise of liberated women

Question 10

Summarise how John Stuart Mill views human nature?

Answer 10

Though fundamentally rational human nature is not fixed: it is forever progressing to a higher level

Question 11

Summarise how John Stuart Mill views The state?

Answer 11

The state should proceed cautiously towards representative democracy, mindful of minority rights

Question 12

Summarise how John Stuart Mill views society?

Answer 12

The best society was one where ‘individuality’ co-existed with tolerance and self-improvement

Question 13

Summarise how John Stuart Mill views The economy?

Answer 13

Laissez-faire capitalism was vital to the progress, individual enterprise and individual initiative

Question 14

Summarise how John Rawls views human nature?

Answer 14

Mankind is selfish yet empathetic, valuing both individual liberty and the plight of those around them

Question 15

Summarise how John Rawls views The state?

Answer 15

The state should enable less fortunate individuals to advance via public spending and public services

Question 16

Summarise how John Rawls views Society?

Answer 16

The society most individuals would choose would be one where the condition of the poorest is improved

Question 17

Summarise how John Rawls views The economy?

Answer 17

Free market capitalism should be tempered by the state’s obligation to advance its poorest citizens

Question 18

Summarise how Betty Friedan views human nature?

Answer 18

Human nature has evolved in a way that discourages self-advancement among women

Question 19

Summarise how Betty Friedan views The state?

Answer 19

The state should legislate to prevent continued discrimination against women

Question 20

Summarise how Betty Friedan views society?

Answer 20

Society remained chauvinistic towards women, though women were complicit in their repression

Question 21

Summarise how Betty Friedan views The economy?

Answer 21

Free market capitalism could be an ally of female emancipation if allied to legislation precluding sexual discrimination

Question 22

What can you say about the Origins of liberalism?

Answer 22

The Enlightenment- intellectual movement that sought to extend these religious ideas into the political and secular spheres
John Locke as father of Liberalism, began to question the relationship between individuals and governments

Question 23

Explain Human nature as one of the core ideas of liberalism

Answer 23

• Denies bleak view of Human nature, instead offers a more optimistic view
• argues human natures has the potential to bring about progress and an unending ability to forge greater human happiness
• Individuals guided principally by reason or rationalism
• human nature allows us to shape our own destiny
• problems are challenges awaiting reasoned solutions
• reasoned discussion leads to consensus
• individuals are naturally self-seeking and self-serving

Question 24

Explain society as one of the core ideas of liberalism

Answer 24

• there is an existence of a “natural society” with “natural laws” and therefore ‘natural laws” all of which preceded the state
• life before the state was not “nasty, brutish and short” as Hobbes stated but potentially pleasant, civilised and long
• purpose of civilised society is to facilitate individualism
• “default setting” of any society is a focus upon individual freedom, any society which seeks to deny individualism is dysfunctional

Question 25

Explain The economy as one of the core ideas of liberalism

Answer 25

-devotion to private property informs its approach to the economy -supports an economy that puts private property at the heart of all economic arrangements -inevitable liberals should support capitalism --Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, liberalism has been strongly associated with private enterprise and private ownership of the economy -strongly linked with its positive view of human nature -"invisible hand of the market , trickle down effect -

Question 26

What are the liberal state origins?

Answer 26

- State of nature, referred to what life might have been like before laws, formal rules and governments came into the being - still accepts within the state of nature there would have been clashes of interests among individuals - state was required to arbitrate effectively between the competing claims of rational individuals - individualism in the state of nature could have been impeded by stalemated disputes

Question 27

What are the liberal state objectives?

Answer 27

``` Rejection of the traditional state government by consent promotion of natural rights/ individualism promotion of tolerance meritocracy equality of opportunity justice ```

Question 28

What is meant by the rejection of the traditional state?

Answer 28

liberal state renounces the sort of state where power is concentrated in the hands of one individual and exercised randomly rejected idea of "divine right"

Question 29

What is meant by government by consent?

Answer 29

state is only legitimate if those under its jurisdiction have effectively volunteered to be under its jurisdiction government should always be the servant not the master

Question 30

What is meant by the promotion of natural rights/ individualism?

Answer 30

only rational reason to submit to the state if it not only respected but promoted the natural rights ensuring they were more safely and easily exercised in the state of nature

Question 31

What is meant by the promotion of tolerance?

Answer 31

state is also concerned to ensure tolerance towards all those individuals who exercise their natural rights -harm principle

Question 32

What is meant by meritocracy?

Answer 32

political power should only be exercised by those worthy government should have to win the trust of the governed -need to demonstrate competence and integrity, not necessarily passed down to descendants

Question 33

What is meant by equality of opportunity?

Answer 33

belief in Foundational equality every individual is born equal have to assume total responsibility for failure, not attribute it to the state

Question 34

What is meant by justice?

Answer 34

Linked to equality of opportunity state should embody justice state will treat individuals fairly and justly without regard to their idenitity

Question 35

what are the liberal state's methods and structures?

Answer 35

limited government fragmented government formal equality

Question 36

What is meant by limited government?

Answer 36

contract between government and governed should be cemented by formal constitution -ensures government must govern according to prearranged rules and procedures prevents gov from eroding natural rights

Question 37

What is meant by fragmented government?

Answer 37

reaction against pre-enlightenment states were power was concentrated - frag gov creates checks and balances - is in tune with positive belief in human nature

Question 38

What is meant by formal equality?

Answer 38

no one is outside the law | no one is above the law

Question 39

What are the distinctive features of early classical liberalism?

Answer 39

- revolutionary potential - negative liberty - minimal state - laissez faire capitalism

Question 40

What is meant by revolutionary potential?

Answer 40

Locke's philosophy become associated with the glorious revolution of 1688, which duly secured constitutional government

Question 41

What is meant by negative liberty?

Answer 41

-notion of freedom that involves individuals being left alone to pursue their destiny any attempt to interfere with individuals actions may therefore be judged an infringement of liberty -voltaire and Montesquieu were conscious that individual liberty was vital to self determination and self reliance . Liberty was a vague termed negative liberty was coined

Question 42

What is meant by the minimal state?

Answer 42

reflected the concept of negative liberty by minimising state activities confining its areas to defence, protection and private property liberty seen as the absence of restraint

Question 43

What is meant by laissez-faire capitalism?

Answer 43

let it happen approach 'invisible hand of the market trickle-down effect had a limitless capacity to enrich society and individuals spread of free trade

Question 44

Difference in Later Classical Liberalism

Answer 44

- Bentham and Smiles, the liberal state needed to be more proactive due to more clashes among individuals in an industrialised society using the formula "the greatest happiness of the greatest number' to inform legislation - Smiles, feared individualism threatened by the advent of socialism, acknowledged industrialised societies made it harder to be self-reliant argued it challenged individuals more rigorously and meant became more fully developed - Spencer sought to apply the theory of natural selection, negative liberty and minimal state would lead to the survival of the fittest and gradual elimination of those unable to enjoy benefits of individualism - Mill argued universal suffrage must be preceded by universal education as representative gov changed to representative democracy promote developmental individualism - Mill was vague as to how this would be achieved

Question 45

What were the features of modern liberalism?

Answer 45

Positive liberty enlarged and enabling state constitutional reform/democracy social liberalism

Question 46

what is meant by positive liberty?

Answer 46

individuals left alone are often inhibited rather than free. Such individuals may need enabling so that they are free to exercise their natural rights social and legal justice was required if individuals were to fulfil their potential

Question 47

What is meant by an enlarged and enabling state?

Answer 47

linked to notion of positive liberty an enabling state was one that extended its activities so as to liberate individuals from restrictive social and economic problems thus enabling them to fulfil their potential -enlarged state guaranteed equality of opportunity necessary to enable individual freedom

Question 48

What is meant by constitutional refrom?

Answer 48

``` if the state is to be enlarged it must also be improved support -enfranchisement -hra European union proportional representation do not support referendum iniitiatives out come of eu referendum ```

Question 49

What is meant by Social liberalism?

Answer 49

represents an updated version of the historic liberal belief in tolerance involves legislation that may criminalise actions that discriminate against individuals on the ground of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and religious persuasion -