Liberalism

• Individualism

  freedom of the individual - rational, capable of making decisions - free from state or religious control
• Egotistical individualism


  people are self seeking/self reliant - minimises the importance of society
• Developmental Individualism


  plays down self-interest and links individual freedom to create a society in which each person can flourish (used by modern liberals to support state intervention)
• Individualism - tolerance


  people are tolerant of peoples ways of life
• Rationalism


  Belief in human reason - individuals should be free to exercise their own judgement about their own interests without needing guidance from the State/Church (allows for mistakes, but will learn and improve)
• The State: 'a necessary evil'


  Limited state intervention - disagreement between Modern and Classical is the extent of state intervention - necessary to guarantee the freedom of the individual
• Limited state link to

  Laissez-faire economics but modern liberals will allow more intervention
• Liberal democracy 


  Best way to organise society/state
• Support of liberal democracy


  Social contract (John Locke) - gov't must be legitimate meaning elected/popular consent
• John Locke - social contract


  idea that gov't should be limited - people agree to obey laws etc. for security of the state but that state should be limited (if gov't over stepped the people would have the right to over throw the gov't)
• Equality 


  equality of opportunity - accepting differing outcomes due to different abilities but all should have equal chance to succeed/achieve their potential
• Social Justice

  Modern liberals (John Rawls state intervention to achieve equality)
• positive freedom


  right to free health care, education etc
• negative freedom


  freedom from laws that prevent them from doing something - John Stuart Mill
• Utilitarianism 


  the greatest happiness for the greatest number
• John Stuart Mill

  'good life' - different meaning to different people, so freedom to be an individual is very important
• Human Nature

  more positive view of human nature (than conservatives)
• Classical liberalism 


  (18/19th century) emphasised freedom above other values - restricting the power of government (limited state) to achieve this. Laissez faire attitude towards business
• Modern Liberalism

  emerged early 20th century in reaction to the growth of free market capitalism and its consequences. They still believe in capitalism, BUT there is a need to regulate the market e.g. laws on minimum wage. Modern liberals do not believe you can be truly free if simply 'left alone' by the state. (Link to social justice)
• Atomised


  the tendency for society to be made up of a collection of self-interested and largely self-sufficient individuals, operating as separate atoms