Liberalism Flashcards
(18 cards)
1
Q
John Locke (1632-1704)
A
- classical
- social contract theory - theoretical voluntary agreement
- limited govt serving people an rights - limited under principle of constitutionalism with clear separation of powers to prevent overpower
- individual freedom and limited govt
- however writing for small group of white men during his time - rights to only those
- ‘Second Treatise Of Government’ - ‘the supreme power cannot take from any men any part of his property without his own consent’
- rationalism - “reason must be our last and guide in every thing”
2
Q
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97)
A
- classical
- “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”
- men and woman equally rational
- reason - women are rational and independent beings
- “the divine right of husbands, like the divine right if kings, it is hoped, in this enlightened age, be contested without danger”
- “ i do not wish for women to have power over men, but over themselves”.
- formal equality - equal rights for women and be able to have a career.
- “let women share rights and she will emulate the virtues of men, for she must grow perfect when emancipated”
- formal equality under law must chance, not only education but voting and property rights and employment rights
- freeing women and providing them with rights will also benefit economy and society
3
Q
John Stewart Mill (1803-73)
A
- classical
- harm principle - individuals free to do anything as long as it is no harm to any other individuals (indicated in ‘On Liberty’ 1859)
- rights no matter class or gender
Advocated for representative democracy - tolerance - popularity of a view doesn’t make it correct - if all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind’.
- developmental individualism - need rights and ability to use them. Freedom to develop (therefore benefiting society)
- individuals best qualified to judge own interests rational
- limited govt but some intervention to aid developmental individualism like through providing education
4
Q
John Rawls (1921-2006)
A
- modern
- view of ignorance - rational individuals would create a society that safeguards least well off ensuring fair distribution of resources and opportunity it’s.
- VOI - hypothetical scenario where individuals agree on the type of society they want from a position where they lack knowledge of their own position in society
- enabling stature - economy equality and progressive taxation, to help poorest in society
- enabling state would ensure individuals life chances are not determined by status at birth and they have opportunity to freely develop
- “A Theory of Justice” 1971 - opinion that society must be just and guarantee each citizen a life worth living
5
Q
Betty Friedan (1921-2006)
A
- modern
- feminist
- legal equality - equal rights for women, right to vote. She advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment in the US and Equal Pay Act 1963 as well as National Organisation for Women 1966 advocating legal and societal change
- equal opportunity and choice
- ‘The Feminine Mystique’ - ‘who knows what women can be when they are finally free to become themselves’
- ‘we need to see men and women as equal partner, but its hard to think of movies that treat women as full human beings’.
- state intervention to dismantle barriers
- agree with classical - importance of individualism and state allowing equality of opportunity
- agreed with modern - enabling state to allow women freedom
6
Q
Adam Smith
A
- classical
- economy
- laissez-faire free market economy
- limited state intervention = “invisible hand”
- state only intervening to maintain law and order and protect rights
7
Q
Key liberalism themes
A
Individualism
Freedom/liberty
State
Rationalism
equality/social justice
Liberal democracy
8
Q
Individualism
A
- individual over any group
- egotistical individualism - idea that freedom is associated with a rational sense of self-reliance and self-interest (classical)
- developmental individualism - modern liberals beilive that state should help individuals develop and assist them (modern)
9
Q
Freedom/liberty
A
- ability to make decisions in your own interest based on view of human nature
- Locke “where there is no law, there is no liberty” - freedom connected to law
- state there to protect and reinforce freedom as natural right
- social contract to be governed with consent and retain freedom
- limited govt
- criticised for being male centrist views of freedom - however J.S.Mill in “the subjection of women 1869, advocated fro women to have a right to vote way before enfranchisement as it seemed rational and hardly controversial. Wollstonecraft advocated for formal equality and Friedan championed equality of outcome
10
Q
Negative vs positive freedom
A
- negative = absence of constraint, freedom from, freedom from govt interference (supported by classical liberals) - links to idea of minimal state
- positive freedom = state plays positive role to assist individuals to achieve and develop, help from state (like funding education) - supported by modern liberals and enabling state
11
Q
A
12
Q
State
A
- ‘necessary’ to avoid disorder but ‘evil’ as it has potential to remove individual liberty
- should be limited
- classical = limited but interview to uphold rule of law and protect “life, liberty and estate”. Limited by separation of powers, consensual (though social contract).
(Locke + Mill(early)) - modern = enabling, promote equality of opportunity and developmental individualism
(Mill(later) + Friedan + Rawls + Wollstonecraft
13
Q
Rationalism
A
- humans capable of reason and logic
- idea of Keynesian economic is rational concept
14
Q
Equality/social justice
A
- foundational equality - equal at birth (HRA)
- fully supported by modern liberals
- Wollstonecraft argued women denied equality in terms of property and political representation and discriminated against in the workplace (continued by Friedan)
- Rawls argued the need for social justice with “veil of ignorance” - if asked people would chose a society with little inequality.
15
Q
Liberal democracy
A
- lockes social contract theory
16
Q
Classical liberals
A
Early liberal who believed that individual freedom would be best achieved with state playing minimal role
17
Q
Modern liberals
A
- emerged as reaction against free-market capitalism believing this had led to many individuals not being free. Freedom no longer defined as being “left alone”
18
Q
Meritocracy
A
Principe that suggests that although inequality is natural in a free society, in a just society those with greater abilities, drive, creativity and work ethics deserve more reward than those without those qualities
