liberalism

• Key thinkers on liberalism

  • John Locke
  • Mary Wollstonecraft
  • John Stuart Mill
  • John Rawls
  • Betty Friedan
• John Locke


  Father of classical liberalism, believed in natural rights and limited government
• John Locke's ideas


  • Optimistic, positive view of humanity as rational
  • Belief in natural rights and need for limited government
  • Rejection of Divine Right of Kings and idea that state is created by man to serve man
  • Belief in religious tolerance but not for atheists
  • Unclear views on equality of men and women
• Mary Wollstonecraft


  Early feminist thinker, argued women were as rational as men and should have equal rights and opportunities
• Mary Wollstonecraft was the mother of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein
• Mary Wollstonecraft's key text

  A Vindication of the Rights of Women
• Mary Wollstonecraft's ideas


  • Belief in potential for humanity to improve through education and legal protections for women
  • Rejection of idea that women were less rational than men
  • Support for American and French Revolutions but argued rights should extend to women as well as men
• John Stuart Mill


  Bridged classical liberalism and modern liberalism, believed in state intervention to help the poor and opposed inheritance tax
• John Stuart Mill's ideas


  • Positive view of humanity and belief in improving human civilization
  • Concept of 'negative freedom' and 'harm theory' - people should be free to do as they wish as long as it doesn't harm others
  • Concern about 'tyranny of the majority' and need for representatives to make judgments based on what's best for people, not just popularity
• John Rawls


  Modern liberal thinker, argued for greater social and economic equality and a 'life worth living' for all
• John Rawls' ideas


  • Belief in redistribution of wealth to ensure a good minimum standard of living for all
  • Rejection of both unregulated capitalism and communism in favour of a 'property-owning democracy'
  • Idea that if given a rational choice, people would choose to narrow economic gaps in society
• Betty Friedan


  Feminist thinker and campaigner, argued society was holding women back through cultural conditioning
• Betty Friedan's ideas


  • Belief that socialization, not biology, was responsible for women being pushed towards being housewives
  • Support for using anti-discrimination laws and liberal institutions to achieve change, rather than violence or breaking the law
  • Argument that women should have equal ability to choose careers or traditional roles like wife and mother
• Betty Friedan founded the National Organization for Women
• The study material covers the key liberal thinkers and their ideas, discussing consistency and change within liberal thought over time