To what extent is there agreement between modern and classical liberals on liberal democracy (24 marks)

P1: Social contract theory- consent + representative democracy: THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED AS THE BASIS OF LEGITIMACY

• Classical and modern liberals agree on the fundamental basis behind liberal democracy, arguing that it serves the needs of society and should be sustained so long as it is based on the will of individuals

• For instance Locke argued that rather than being based on divine rights and acting arbitrarily the state should be based on the consent of the governed locks social contract theory suggested that individuals form societies and governments through an implicit agreement to ensure the protection of their natural rights such as life liberty and property this theory asserts that the legitimacy of a government stands from the consent of the governed and its authority is conditional upon its ability to safeguard these rights effectively

• if those in power don't protect individual rights effectively they have broken the contract and the people have the right to remove them from power

• modern liberals agree moving away from the idea of the divine right and laying the groundwork for democracy,

P2: Political equality and equal civil rights for all individuals within a liberal democracy

• Classical and modern liberals are united on the basis of political equality and equal civil rights for all individuals within a liberal democracy

• classical liberals such as Wollstonecraft assert the need for formal equality under the law and equal rights for women arguing that the liberal principles of individual rights and freedoms should not be confined just to men Wollstonecraft advocated for equal rights under the law including raising rights property rights and equal opportunities in employment

• similarly modern liberals such as free Don argued for legal equality challenging oppressive laws and societal norms that limited women's roles she was a key figure in advocating for the equal rights amendment in the US which was aimed at guaranteeing equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex

• Friedan recognised that women were significantly limited in their rights and opportunities and thus legal and political equality needed to be advanced within society to improve upon liberal democracy

 

P3: How democracy should present itself- representative democracy

• However there are tensions between classical and modern liberals on how democracy should present itself as calls for universal suffrage grew mill a modern liberal updated John Locke's notion of government by consent by advocating for representative democracy he saw it as a means to reconcile individual liberty with collective decision making

• while supportive of broader democratic participation Mill was also deeply worried about the dangers of tyranny of the majority for this reason he argued for a system of representation where elected officials would not make delegates the popular will but we're independent thinkers who could exercise their own judgement and represent a diversity of views aiming to balance majority rule with the protection of minority rights

• This significantly differs however from the original classical liberal position on democracy, with Locke's vision more about the consent of property owners rather than a broad-based democratic participation. This reflected the fact that at the time when speaking of rights and society , he and others were only really reffering to a small group of privileged, white and wealthy men

 

P4: The existence of a common good or public interest

• However there are tensions between classical and modern liberalism on the existence of a common good or public interest within democracy classical liberalism struggles with such concepts as it views societies as atomistic and therefore any collective will is difficult for classical liberals to support

• Locke for instance was more keen to protect individualism over collectivism and thus advocated for the minimal state based on the concept of egotistical individualism

• mill advanced the concept of developmental individualism he believed that for individuals to be truly free they needed not only rights but also the ability to effectively use those rights education was a familiar and  crucial tool in realising this vision he saw it as essential for helping individuals reach their potential and for the proper functioning of society and democracy

• mail even suggested a plural voting system where more educated individuals would have more votes reflecting his belief that an educated electorate was crucial for informed decision making in a democratic society

• Rawls further advanced such ideas in his theory on social justice basing a version of democracy on more collective aims such as a welfare state. 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