modern liberalism Flashcards
(40 cards)
as the economy and society continued to develop in the Laye 29th and early 20th century modern liberal though began to ebeolve with thinkers going further than Mill to argue that
the state should take a more interventionaliist approach and actively work to mitigate the disparities and social injustices by industrialisation and free market capitalism
this shift was partly driven by the changing political landscape , with near universal manhood suffrage and the emergence of
socialist parties created a new working class electorate
liberal politicians recognised the need to appeal to these voters , balancing the
traditional liberal empahsis on individual rights with growing concerns about social welfare and economic equality
int he this content thinkers like T.H Green played a pivotal role in reshaping liberal philosophy , Green argued that realities and inequalities of industrialised society challenged the
classical liberal notion of individuals as wholly autonomous agents
Green argued that true freedom or liberty should be understood as more than just the absence of resritaint instead in should encompass the capacity to
fulfils ones potential - a concept layer termed positive liberty by Isaiah Berlin
Green and his contemporaries posited that the state should have a moral obligation to create conditions that would enable individuals to
release their potential thereby achieving true freedom
this included advocating for
education healthcare and social safety nets setting the stage for the development of the warfare state
in the early 20th century modern liberalism began to manifest in tangible political and economic policies making a shift towards a
more interventionist enabling state
a signfiicant milestone in the development was the introduction of the peoples budget in 1908 by the liberal government under
Asquith and David Lloyd George
This budget increased taxes on the wealthy to fund social welfare programs that dressed poverty and health issues among the working class including pensions for the elderly , unemployment and sickness insurance , it was a radical move that laid the foundational elements of the
modern welfare state , actualising modern liberals ideas of social justice and supporting those who were disadvantaged
the economic theory of John Mayne Keynes also developed in the 1920s and 1930’s , Keynes challenged the classical liberal belief of
laissez faire arguing that capitalist economies are prone to cycles of boom and bust leading to periods of mass unemployment and economic instability
Keynes advocated instead for active state intervention in managing economies suggesting that governments should regulate interest rates and increase public spending during
economic downturns to stimulate demand and mitigate the effects of recessions
Keynesianism gained significant traction as a response to the Great Depression especially in the unit states under
president Roosevelt new deal policies
These policies represented a dramatic shift in the tole of the state in economic affairs moving away from classical liberalism minimal state intervention to a
more active tole in economic management as espoused by modern liberalism
throughout the 20th century modern liberalism continued to evolve receiving its most comprehensive justification and implementation in the
post WWII era
this period saw influential thinkers like John Rawls and Betty Friedan developing and providing
robust philosophical justifications for modern liberalism
modern liberalism developed during this period to include constitutional reform to enhance democratic governance , social liberalism to address issues of civil rights and social equality and the practical application of these ideas in
the establishment of the welfare state in the UK
John Rawls provided a detailed justification and defence of modern liberalism in his seminal work of
” a theory of justice “
Rawls developed the concept and liberal justification for an enabling state that used progressive taxation and substantial public spending to establish a robust safety net , this framework was designed to facillitate
true positive freedom for all individuals ensuring not just negative freedom from interference but also the capacity to utilise ones freedom effectively
Rawls support for kyenseian economics was also clear in his advocacy for state intervention in managing
economic cycles and promoting general welfare , recognising the limitations of laissez faire capitalism
in defending this modern liberal approach , Rawls emphasised that it was not a ‘ surrender to socialism ‘ instead argued that redistributing wealth within a capitalist framework and creating a society where
the poor and disadvantaged are supported was both rational and consistent with liberal values
for Rawls such a society enables all individual regardless of their socio-economic states to exercise their
individualism and enjoy genuine freedom
Rawls justified this through his ‘veil of ignorance’ thought experiment that asks individuals to design a society without any knowledge of their own position with it , Rawls theorised that under this rational individuals would create a society that
safeguards the least well off , ensuring a fair distribution of resources and opportunities
in ATOJ he wrote
” THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE ARE CHOSE BEHIND A VEIL OF IGNORANCE “
