Liberalism

Introduction

• Term used since the 14th Century

• Latin Liber or “class of free men”

• Becomes used to describe freedom and choice

• Used in politics in early 19th Century

Introduction• Commitment to the individual

• Everyone gets as much freedom as possible

• Entitled to equal political and legal rights

• Reward for talents and initiative

Origins and Development

• Origins in agricultural societies

• People forced to settle, trade, and live with strangers

Origins and Development• Product of

breakdown of feudalism

• Market and Capitalism replaces

• Middle class conflicts with Ruling Class

Origins and Development• Revolutions showed liberalism

• English and French

• “Divine Rights,” Absolutism, Church challenged

• Market should be free of government interference

Core Themes

• Gains traction during the 18th and 19th Century

• 20th Century-Morally neutral

• Right over Good

• Not do your own thing

Individualism

• Feudal period prevents all individuality

• Social classes determined everything

• Feudalism collapses=think for yourself

• The uniqueness is both celebrated, and caused problems

Individualism• Atomism-people

are self interested, not social groups

• Human nature-ego is tempered by social responsibility

Freedom

• Freedom is the most important thing

• Freedom allows people to pursue interests

Freedom

• No absolute entitlement to freedom

• Negative Freedom-lack of external interference

• Positive Freedom-full autonomy, being able to develop own interests

Reason• Rely on logic

• People are rational

• Can make choices for best interests

• Paternalism is bad

Logic

• Human history view through progress

• Knowledge allowed people to shape world for better

• Escape past and tradition

• Emphasis on education

Logic

• Utopias not possible, too greedy

• Rivalry and conflict are inevitable

• Settle with debate

• Force should be a last resort and avoided at all costs

Justice• Moral judgment

about reward and punishment

• Social justice is fair distribution of stuff

• Equality-humans born equal

Justice• Everyone has the same status

• No advantages based on “irrational factors”

• Race, sex, creed, religion, etc

• One Person, One Vote; One Vote, One Value

• Meritocracy is the key to success

• Unlike individuals treated alike

Toleration• Pluralism- Political power should be

dispersed evenly

• Willingness to tolerate things you disagree with

• Toleration leads to a balance society

• AKA: Each side is essential

The Liberal State• Fair and balanced society won’t come

naturally

• People are greedy=exploitation

• Government is to stop exploitation

• Social Contract Theory is necessary

• Social Contract requires neutrality from state

Liberal State

• Following laws aren’t mandatory

• Unjust laws?

• Elite don’t create gov’t, masses do

Constitutionalism

• Government is dangerous, must be limited by a constitution

• Checks and balances

• Operation of Powers

• Independent Judiciary

Liberal Democracy• Dominant force in developing world

• Check on gov’t guarantee civil liberty

• Liberals are ambivalent towards democracy

• Democracy could infringe upon liberty (51% rule)-de Tocqueville

• Unrestrained=bad, None=brutality

Classical Liberalism• Appear with feudalism to capitalism

• Individuals are egotistical

• Free as long as not interfered with

• State/Government is necessary evil (Paine)

• Civil Society is positive

Natural Rights• John Locke and Thomas Jefferson

• Rights are god given, can’t be taken away

• “Life, Liberty, and Property”-Jefferson

• Government Functions-Order, protection, contracts-Locke

Utilitarianism• Jeremy Bentham and James Mill

• Humans base everything on pleasure and pain

• Humans can handle best interest

• Humans can gauge morality in relation to interest

Economic Liberalism• Mercantilism encouraged government during

the 16th and 17th Century

• Markets operate best when left alone-Liberals

• Free Market/Laissez-Faire: Government Hands Off

• Market fundamentalism- market/economy will fix itself, leave it alone

Social Darwinism• Strong Survive,

weak will decline

• Due to strength, inequalities will arise.

• Government needs to stay out

Modern Liberalism

• Comes along with more industrialization

• Social inequality emerges

• Hard to agree with capitalism as poverty grows

Individuality• Bridge between

classical and modern (J.S. Mills)

• Liberty helps the individual

• Individual can do their own things

Positive Freedom• Proposed by T.H. Green

• Unrestrained pursuit of freedom leads to injustice

• People possess individual AND social responsibility

• Modern liberalism has grown closer to socialism

• State NOT more important

Social Liberalism

• States became “welfare” based in 20th Century

• Welfare rights are required for equality

• Linked to socialism because it strives for equality

Economic Management• Modern Liberalism abandons “laissez

faire”-Great Depression

• Government spendings “injects money” to spur the economy -John Maynard Keyes

• Economic management promotes prosperity and harmony

Liberalism in Global Age• Globalization has brought about

“neoliberalism”

• Deregulation of economy designed to attract business

• Neoliberalism pushes for economic interdependence

• Free Trade is vital

Liberalism in Global Age• Republican Liberalism- democracy is peaceful,

everything else is authoritative

• Media has increased knowledge fo outside world

• Human rights are now challenging sovereignty

• Gulf Wars?

• Fall of the Soviet Union has released challenges to liberalism