Liberalism – Core Ideas and Key Terms (Vocabulary)

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering key liberal concepts, principles, doctrines, and thinkers drawn from the notes.

Liberalism

An ideology on the libertarian axis stressing freedom, social progress, capitalism, meritocracy, rationalism and constitutionalism, with freedom as its central concept.

Foundational equality

The belief that all individuals are born equal with inherent entitlements and inalienable rights.

Formal equality

Equality before the law regardless of background; a ‘difference blind’ approach to treatment in society.

Equality of opportunity

The liberal aim that society should provide equal chances to succeed by removing barriers like racism, sexism, and discrimination.

Equality of outcome

A liberal-socialist critique where outcomes are made more equal, often via redistribution; opposed by many classical liberals.

Difference blind

The idea that individuals should be treated equally before the law without regard to background or status.

Negative freedom (negative liberty)

Freedom from interference; the absence of constraints or obstacles on actions.

Positive freedom (positive liberty)

The freedom to do something and the capacity to achieve meaningful goals, often requiring state support.

Freedom

The core liberal value encompassing individual rights to act, think and choose within the bounds of not harming others.

Individualism

Primacy of the individual over the collective and suspicion of overmighty state power.

Rationalism

Belief that humans are rational beings capable of reason and logical thinking.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership and market forces with limited state intervention.

Meritocracy

A system where social status and rewards are based on merit and ability rather than birth.

Social contract

The idea of an implicit or explicit agreement between people and the state to create political society.

Locke (social contract)

John Locke’s view that individuals consent to be governed, with government justified by the protection of liberty and property.

Tacit consent

Consent that is assumed from the general behavior of people, rather than expressed formally.

Consent of the governed

Legitimacy of government derived from the people’s agreement or acceptance.

Property (Locke’s view)

Government exists to preserve life, liberty and property; overstepping this end violates the social contract.

Open society

Popper’s idea of a society open to dissent, critical thought, and peaceful political change.

Dissent/dissidents

Liberals typically defend the rights of dissidents to express critical opinions of the ruling regime.

State of nature

A hypothetical pre-political condition used to justify the social contract and the need for government.

Night-watchman state

A minimal state that mainly enforces contracts and protects citizens from violence.

Laissez-faire

Economic policy favoring minimal state intervention in markets.

Welfare state

A state that provides a broad range of social services and redistribution to reduce inequality.

Enabling state

A state role in which the government supports welfare and reduces market failures, while maintaining freedom.

Beveridge

William Beveridge’s 1942 report that laid the blueprint for a welfare state covering the cradle to the grave.

Keynesianism

Belief in active state intervention to manage the economy and smooth business cycles.

Automatic stabilisers

Policy mechanisms (e.g., taxes, spending) that automatically dampen economic fluctuations.

Mixed economy

An economic system combining private enterprise with government intervention and welfare.

Classical liberalism

A liberal tradition advocating a minimal state, free markets and individual rights.

Modern liberalism (social liberalism)

A liberal tradition accepting some state intervention and welfare to correct market failures.

Tolerance

Acceptance of diversity and the freedom to live differently, provided it does not harm others.

Experiments in living

John Stuart Mill’s idea that individuals should be free to pursue diverse lifestyles.

Marketplace of ideas

The liberal belief that open discussion and competition of ideas lead to truth.

Open government

Transparent governance with accountability and access to information.

Accountability

Elected representatives and governments being answerable to the people.

Constitutionalism

Government power limited and regulated by a written or unwritten constitution.

Rule of law

Principle that laws govern the state and protect citizens’ rights, not the arbitrary will of rulers.

Separation of powers

Dividing government powers among branches to prevent abuse and provide checks and balances.

Checks and balances

Safeguards to prevent any one branch from gaining excessive power.

Democracy

Rule by the people, typically through free and fair elections and political participation.

Liberal democracy

A system combining liberal rights with democratic participation and accountability.

Freedom versus equality dichotomy

A central liberal puzzle: rights and liberties may conflict with efforts to achieve equality.

Rawls

John Rawls’s theory of justice as fairness, emphasizing equality, liberty and the difference principle.

Veil of ignorance

A thought experiment to design just principles without knowing one’s own position.

Difference principle

Inequalities are permissible only if they benefit the least advantaged.

Justice as fairness

Rawls’s idea that a just society would be agreed upon from the original position of ignorance.

Mill (harm principle)

Liberty should be restricted only to prevent harm to others.

Harm principle

The idea that individual liberty can be restricted to prevent harm to others.

Utilitarianism

Philosophy that actions are right if they promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Bentham

Founder of utilitarianism; emphasized quantity of happiness and the hedonic calculus.

Higher vs lower pleasures

Mill’s view that some pleasures are qualitatively superior to others.

Proportional representation

Voting system aiming to allocate seats in proportion to votes received.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Early feminist and liberal thinker who argued for women’s reason, formal equality and education.

The mind has no gender

Wollstonecraft’s claim that women are rational beings equal to men.

Betty Friedan

Author of The Feminine Mystique; a key figure in liberal feminism and second-wave feminism.

The Feminine Mystique

Friedan’s book describing the unhappiness of housewives and advocating women’s emancipation.

First-wave feminism

Early feminist movement focused on legal rights and formal equality.

Solzhenitsyn

Critic of equality of outcome and oppressive systems; used to illustrate dangers of collectivism.

Ayn Rand

Philosopher opposing collectivism; promoted individualism and rational self-interest.

Two concepts of liberty

Berlin’s distinction between negative liberty (freedom from interference) and positive liberty (freedom to achieve goals).

Isaiah Berlin

Philosopher who distinguished negative and positive liberty and warned about balancing freedoms.

TH Green

Thinker who argued for positive liberty and an enabling state to lift the disadvantaged.

Tocqueville

warned about tyranny of the majority in democracies.

Open government

Transparency and accountability of government to the people.

Pluralism

Dispersal of power among many groups to prevent domination by a single interest.