liberalism ideology Flashcards
(9 cards)
classical liberals advocate for what kind of state? (locke)
Minimal State
Classical liberals advocate for a minimal state limited to protecting negative rights. Locke’s social contract theory establishes the government’s primary purpose as protecting natural rights to “life, liberty and property.” This reflects the historical context of opposition to absolutist monarchies, with the state seen as a necessary evil requiring strict limitation. While this position provides clear boundaries against state overreach, it potentially privileges formal rights over substantive capabilities.
what do modern liberals say about the state (rawls)
Modern liberals support an enabling state that actively promotes positive freedom. Rawls’ theory of justice requires state institutions to ensure fair distribution of primary goods necessary for individual development. This acknowledges that meaningful freedom requires material conditions but risks expanding state power in ways that could eventually threaten the very liberty it seeks to promote.
classical liberalism mill harm principal state intervention
Harm Principle vs State Intervention
Mill’s harm principle restricts legitimate state action to preventing harm to others: “the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” This maintains conceptual clarity by defining freedom as non-interference but may render freedom meaningless for disadvantaged groups lacking resources to exercise their rights.
how do modern liberals justify state intervention?
Modern liberals justify broader state intervention to ensure substantive equality and social justice. This recognises how private power can restrict freedom as much as state power but lacks a clear limiting principle on state authority, potentially enabling paternalistic interventions based on assumptions about people’s “true” interests.
what do classical liberals say about welfare?
Classical liberals oppose extensive state welfare as violating property rights and fostering dependency, favouring private charity and voluntary association. This preserves individual responsibility and avoids creating dependency cultures but fails to address systemic inequalities and market failures that leave some individuals without adequate resources.
what do modern liberals believe about welfare? (Beveridge report)
Modern liberals view comprehensive welfare systems as essential for meaningful freedom. The Beveridge Report identified “five giants” (want, disease, ignorance, squalor, and idleness) requiring state action. This acknowledges how economic insecurity undermines autonomy but risks creating dependency rather than self-reliance and faces efficiency challenges in delivery.
democracy and participation views classical liberals?
Classical liberals like Mill feared the “tyranny of the majority” in pure democracies, advocating strict protections for individual rights against majority will. This protects minority rights from populist overreach but can appear elitist and undemocratic.
modern liberals democracy and participation
Modern liberals more readily embrace democratic processes while maintaining constitutional protections. This balances popular sovereignty with rights protection but still faces tension between democratic will and liberal principles when they conflict.
