Liberalism

• John Locke (1632-1704)


  Father of Liberalism
• John Locke's beliefs


  • Human nature is rational + guided by self-interest
  • Role of state is to improve individuals situations
  • Free-market capitalism + private property is heart of the economy
• Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97)


  Wrote 'Vindication of the Rights of Women' + argued that women are not naturally inferior to men
• Mary Wollstonecraft's beliefs


  • Men + women have equal capacity as rational beings
  • State should guarantee equal rights for men + women e.g full employment + education
  • Society conditioned women to have limited ambitions
• John Stuart Mill (1806-73)


  Advocated women's rights + written during Industrial Revolution
• John Stuart Mill's beliefs


  • Human nature was 'constantly changing' + each individual is unique
  • Approved of democracy + emphasised value of education to enable valid voting
  • Wanted tolerance for minorities + laissez-faire capitalism
• Thomas Hill Green


  Believed human nature was social + individualistic
• Thomas Hill Green's beliefs


  • Emphasised necessity of equality of opportunity to achieve 'social justice'
  • State should promote freedom by protecting humans from social injustice
  • Supportive of laissez-faire capitalism
  • 'Positive freedom' - cooperation of all individuals within society, not just the lack of restraints
• John Rawls (1921 - 2002)


  Believed mankind is selfish yet empathetic
• John Rawls' beliefs


  • 'Veil of ignorance' - if we got to choose a society blind, wed choose a fairer, more equal society -> advocated for equality of opportunity
  • Strong advocate for enabling state + state intervention was needed fro equality of opportunity
  • Supportive of Keynesian economics
• Betty Friedan (1921 - 2006)


  Wrote 'Feminine Mystique'
• Betty Friedan's beliefs


  • Women + men are equally capable
  • Traditional society conditioned women to adopt certain gender roles - childcare/home-making
  • State should pass laws to bring about greater equality
  • Women are capable of significant contributions to capitalist economy if historical bias is over come e.g equal pay laws
• Classical liberalism


  • Believe individual freedom is best achieved with minimal state
  • Negative liberty - private property is a natural right
• Modern Liberalism


  • Believe the state must help in a more active way e.g economic redistribution
• Types of individualism


  • Individualism - importance of each individual
  • Developmental individualism - idea that individual freedom is linked to humans flourishing
  • Egoistical individualism - human beings are naturally drawn to their own selfish interests
• Other key liberal concepts


  • Natural right - idea that all humans are born with rights e.g right to light liberty + property
  • Minimal state - role of state must be restricted to preserve individual liberty
  • Enabling state - larger state that helps individuals to achieve their potential
  • Positive liberty - freedom to live a fulfilling life with government interference if needed
  • Negative liberty - freedom from government interference
  • Meritocracy - system which promotes individual ability + achievement
  • Tolerance - being tolerant towards different ideas to reduce conflict
  • Foundational equality - idea that we are all born with equal entitlement
  • Social contract - (Locke + Hobbes) linked to Enlightenment thinkers -> indicates that the state should be a deal between government + governed where the governed should only defer to government if the state guarantees certain outcomes e.g protection of natural rights
  • Mechanistic theory - idea that the state was created by 'man' to serve the people and act in their interests
  • Harm Principle - John Stuart Mill - people should be free to act however they wish unless their actions were to harm someone else
  • State of nature - notion of what life was like before the emergence of the state -> used by Hobbes and Locke
  • State of law - Liberals have a more positive outlook of human nature + believe that the state of nature was tolerable , a state of law would only be desirable if it represented an improvement for the situation of the governed
  • Two Treatises of Government - John Locke (Father of Lib) published in 1690
• John Locke's views


  • Egotistical individualism vs developmental individualism
  • Self-realisation, self-determination, self-fulfilment
  • State of nature based on natural rights, natural laws + natural justice -> tolerable, rational environment - life, liberty, property
  • A state of law is only viable if natural rights are protected + if individuals are better off as a result vs state of nature -> social contract + optimistic view of human nature
• John Locke's view of society


  • 'Natural state' -> society precedes state due to rational, respectful human nature
  • As choosing to create a state, individuals must be free to pursue self-fulfilment
  • Universal self-fulfilment is not possible without tolerance - negative freedom or harm principle
  • Mill's emphasis on education to overcome minoirty conflicts caused by ignorance
• John Locke's view of the economy


  • Belief in private property as a fundamental natural right
  • Adam Smith -> laissez-faire, free trade, private enterprise, 'invisible hand' of market forces would enrich all
  • 'Trickle down' and meritocracy - equality of opportunity if not outcome
• John Locke's view of the state


  • Rejection of pre-Enlightenment -> divine right of kings, monarchies, hereditary power
  • State of law is preferable as long as natural rights advance - if threatened, state is no longer desirable
  • Social contract + government by consent - belief in constitutional or limited state based on foundational equality (all born equal) - 'fragmented + scattered power'
  • Democratic? complex - concerns about tyranny of majority, uneducated voters, non-property voters
  • Some liberals propose limitations on voting rights as a result
• Tyranny


  All power in the hands of a single ruler
• Tyranny of the majority


  Where the majority makes decisions that are not in the best interest of the minority