Liberalism

Crash course

• Breaks the worlds into individual human being

• Revolutionary ideology 

• Freedom of the individual to do stuff as long as it’s not harming anyone 

• Find balance between freedom and not harming others

• State is built to protect individual freedom 

Origins and birth of liberalism

• Emerges from the breakdown of feudalism and rise of commercial society (industrial capitalism)

• Reflected the aspirations of the rising middle class - interests conflicted with the monarchy and aristocracy

• Early thoughts were radical and revolutionary 

• Early liberals were called republicans 

• Tolerance 

• Ideologies are born as weapons

• The Birth of Liberalism 

  • English rev. Of 1688

  • American rev. Of 1776

  • French rev. Of 1789

    • The declaration of rights of man and citizen is clear pronouncement of equality

    • Read out in national assembly

    • The left (merchants) made money through shipping slaves (transatlanic slave trade)

    • Most profitable colony was Haiti- news of declaration travel to Haiti and they’re like yeah and organize launch revolution against France who fought back- only successful historical revolution by enslaved colonies

    • Released equality on the world and it destroyed their empire

    • The concept of the human (who is and who isn’t)

  • Embody liberal aspects

  • Advocated for constitutional gov. And later rep. Gov

  • Opposed social and economic privileges and the landed aristocracy - fought against the social hierarchies, obligations, and feudalism 

  • During the process, spoke of rights of man, meritocracy, free trade, freedom of religious worship

  • Contradictions (ex. We have rights but look slaves, Thomas Jefferson had slaves and enslaved his kids) 

  • History about unintended consequences

Themes of liberalism

• Individualism - we used to just be part of social groups but this is the idea of being your own person with own thoughts and interests - with market forces more choice was up to the individual (who to buy from, who to work for), natural rights theories emerge, individual comes first, everyone has inherent dignity 

• Freedom - commitment to individual freedom, unifying liberal value, not reducible to mere license, autonomy and agency should be upheld, doesn’t include right to abuse others, positive and negative liberty

  • Negative absence of external restraints on the individual (USA healthcare)

  • Positive is the ability to be autonomous (a capacity) and fulfill potential (aren’t free if you don’t have good healthcare) 

• Reason - release humankind from superstition and ignorance and paternalism, individuals are rational and can define themselves, emphasis on education and brings about advancement

• Justice - based on the belief of equality, equal in moral worth, individuals should enjoy the same formal status in society (rights), rights are for all

  • Legal rights (equality before the law) 

  • Political rights (one person, one vote) 

• Toleration - celebrate social diversity, respect everyone? Belief religion and private matters are left up to the individual, pluralism 

• Meritocracy - equal opportunity (not outcome but potential), going far in life is decided by talent and hardwork, reward merit, incentives people to do best

Historical overview of liberalsim

• Liberalism is a product of the breakdown of feudalism in Europe and the growth of a capitalist society 

• Reflects the aspirations of the rising middle class - interests conflicted with the established power (aristocracy) 

• Liberals are radical - sought fundamental reform even if that means revolution 

  • American Revolution, English revolution, French revolution were all considered liberal even though they weren't called that

• Challenged the divine right of kings - wanted constitutional, and later, representative gov 

• Criticized feudal system - place in society determined by the luck of birth

• Questioned the church 

• Nineteenth century = liberal century 

• More industrialized led to for liberal ideas

• Wanted a market free from gov influence 

• 20th cent. Onwards, industrial capitalism was a powerful appeal for developing places in africa, asia, latin america, especially when it was on western terms

• Developing world states don’t like liberalism because they value community over the individual - more of a breeding ground for socialism, nationalism, religious fundamentalism

• Powerful ideological force for shaping western political tradition 

• Liberalism changed as the middle class succeeded in establishing economic and political dominance

  • Revolutionary edge faded

  • Became increasingly conservative - less for reform and more for maintenance of liberal institutions 

•  Late 1800s onward - progress of industrialization led liberals to question and revise the early liberal ideas 

• Cold war saw consolidation of liberalism in the west

  • Liberal democracy spread with WG, IT, Japan and india getting democracies 

  • And then some other counties 

  • 1960s - silent revolution started - liberal values spread (gender relations, homosexuality, religious observance, capital punishment, culture diversity)

• End of cold war - some declared it was the liberal moment in world affairs 

  • Overthrow of the communists saw lots of democracies popping up 

• In 1973 - 45/151 states saw key features of liberal democracy 

• 2003 - 63% of states (more than 70% of the world's population) were liberal democracies 

• Franci Fukuyama  claimed liberal democracy had established itself as the final form of human government 

  • Implies it’s the default of human societies 

• World economy linked by neoliberal lines 

• Early 21st century sees the retreat of liberalism 

  • Authoritarian ideas and practices popping up again (sigh) 

• Silent counter revolution sees resurgence of conservative values, especially with national identity topics like immigration and multiculturalism - expressed through right-wing populism 

• Liberalism was damaged by the 07-10 financial crisis 

  • Impression that liberal political forces were more alignment with the interest of financial and corporate elites than they were the people 

Individualism

• Feudal period - no idea of individuals have their own interests and identities - people were seen as members of the social groups they belonged to (family, village, local community, social class) and that defined their identity 

• Market oriented societies emerged and people had a larger range of choices and possibilities 

  • Encouraged to THINK for and of themselves

• Science displaced religious theories 

• Society is understood from the viewpoint of the individual - everyone is special - natural rights

• Kant thinks everyone is equally dignified the worth 

• Emphasising individuals as contrasting implications 

  • Uniqueness of human beings - inner attributes

  • All share the same status - are equal 

  • Tension in liberalism can be traced back to these two things 

• Some view society as a collection of individuals - everyone wants to satisfy their own needs and interests (atomism) 

  • Can lead to the belief that society doesn’t really exist - only individuals do - based on assumption of selfishness 

• The individual is “the proprietor of his own person or capacities, owing nothing to society for them” - early on but later people get more optimistic 

• Liberals want a society where everyone can develop and flourish 

Freedom

• Importance of the individual leads to the commitment to individual freedom 

• Unifying principle and supreme political value 

• Early on, freedom was a natural right

• Allowed people to exercise choice (live, work, shop, etc)

• Later, see freedom as a condition where people develop skills and talents 

• Individuals do not have absolute entitlement to freedom - don’t want it to lead to abusing others

• John Stuart Mill - the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others’.

• Agree about having the value but not what it means to be free

• Classical liberals believe in negative freedom

  • Everyone is left alone, free from interference and can act however they want 

  • Negative because it’s based on the absence of external restrictions on the individual 

• Modern liberals like positive freedom 

  • Ability to be ones own master 

  • Develop skills and talents to broaden understanding and gain fulfilment 

reason

• The case for freedom is linked to faith in reason

• Part of the enlightenment project - unleash the age of reason 

• Strengthen faith in individual and freedom 

• People are capable of pursuing things in our own best interests

• Bias against paternalism - authority exercised for guidance and support of those below modeled after relationship between fathers and children

  • Stops people from making their own choices and learning from mistakes

  • Creates potential from people to abuse their position for their own gains

• Knowledge flows from reason rather than experience 

• Liberals want to view human history in terms of progress

• Love the scientific revolution because people could understand their reality

• understanding increases with each generation - LOVE EDUCATION YIPPPEEEE - promotes personal development and social advancement 

• Importance of discussion, debate, and argument and that’s how conflict should be solved

• Optimistic about people but know we aren’t perfect 

• War is seen as the last option - violence only when countering oppression or self-defence 

Justice

• Distribution of  rewards and punishment 

• Give everyone what they are due 

• Wages, profits, housing, medical care, welfare benefits

• Based on equality

• Everyone is born equal and has human rights that transcend state sovereignty 

• Global justice and decolonization 

• Everyone should enjoy the same formal status in society in terms of rights or entitlements 

• Disapprove of privileges enjoyed by some but denied to other on the basis of race, gender, religion, creed, background, class - “difference blind”

• Legal and political equality are most important 

  • Non legal factors are irrelevant in legal decision making

  • Democracy - everyone votes how they see fit 

• Breeding ground for feminist beliefs 

• Equality of opportunity - same chance to rise and fall 

• Right to reward merit - incentive for people to realize their full potential

• Equality means same opportunity to develop unequal skills and abilities 

• Meritocracy - inequalities of wealth and social position reflect the unequal distribution of talent 

• Just because no one is judged or prejudiced because of who they are 

• Social inequality is thought of as unjust because it treat individuals alike despite their different qualities and capabilities 

• Disagree on how things should be applied in practice 

• Classic like meritocracy but the moderns don’t \

Toleration

• Willingness to accept and celebrate moral, cultural, and political diversity 

• ‘I detest what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it.’

• Ethical ideal and social principle 

• Goal of personal autonomy

• Establish set of rules for how humans should treat each other 

• Guarantee of personal autonomy 

• Necessary to ensure vigour and health of society 

• Good ideas replace bad ones and ignorance is banished

Classical Liberalsim and it’s values

• Earliest liberal tradition 

• Transition from feudalism to capitalism 

• High point during early industrial period 

• “Nineteenth century liberalism” 

• UK

• Rooted in anglo saxon countries 

• Growing appeal in the 2nd half of the 20th century

  • Natural Rights 

    • John Locke and Thomas Jefferson 

    • Modern debate always has rights intertwined 

    • Rights are invested in humans by god - human rights

    • Inalienable rights: life, liberty, property, the pursuit of happiness

    • Gov was established to protect rights and then the citizens will respect gov - if gov violates we can rebel 

    • gov should not extend beyond maintaining order and protecting property, providing defence against external attack, ensuring contracts are enforce

    • Gov is best if it governs less

  • Utilitarianism 

    • Rights are nonsense

    • People are motivated by self interest - defined as the desire for pleasure, or happiness, wish to avoid pain, utility

    • The greatest happiness for the greatest number - what policies and institutions will benefit society the most 

    • Lots of impact

    • Provide moral philosophy that explains how and why individuals act the way they do

    • No one can judge what gives you the greatest happiness 

  • Economic Liberalism 

    • Mercantilism - dominant in 16 and 17th centuries - encouraged govs to intervene in economic life to encourage export of goods and restrict imports 

    • Economy as a series of markets and operates according to the wishes for free individuals 

    • Free market is freedom of choice - what to make - what to sell - what to buy - voluntary and contractual 

    • Prices are set by the market - supply and demand - self-regulatory - no gov interference 

    • Commercial liberalism - belief in the virtues of free trade 

    • Laissez-faire economy 

    • Neoliberalism was counter-revolutionary: it aimed to halt, and if possible reverse, the trend towards ‘big’ government that had dominated most Western countries, especially since 1945

  • Social Darwinism

    • Social circumstance is the fault of talent and hard work  

    • Heaven helps people who help themselves

    • Inequalities of wealth, position, and power are inevitable and natural and there should be no gov intervention

Modern Liberalism and its values

• Twentieth century liberalism 

• Further development of industrialization - expansion of wealth, poverty, ignorance, and disease

• Hard to ignore social inequality - hard to believe industrialization brought general prosperity

• Individuality 

  • Promote pleasure that develop intellect, moral, and aesthetic sensibilities over pleasure seeking

• Positive Freedom

  • Classical liberalism had given way to forms of poverty and injustice

  • Altruism -  concern for others

  • Ability to do things

  • Liberty may be threatened by social disadvantages 

  • Protect from social issues and the state can expand freedom

  • More socialist 

  • Desire to help individuals to help themselves

• Social liberalism 

  • State intervention 

  • Social welfare - modern states became welfare states

  • Social reform 

  • Defended on the basis of equal opportunity - if people are disadvantaged the state has a responsibility to reduce or remove them to give them more equal chances

  • Right to work, right to education, right to housing

  • Positive rights - can only be satisfied through positive actions

  • Protect citizens throughout their whole lives

  • Equality is fairness

  • Desire to avoid poverty is greater than attraction to riches 

  • Justice must be endorsed by citizens and have philosophical justification 

• Economic management 

  • No laissez faire 

  • Increasingly complex industrial capitalist economies and inability to guarantee prosperity if left to their own devices

  • Failure of the free market - great depression 

  • Economic intervention 

  • Keynes - reject self-regulating market - employment - manage economies through aggregate demand - gov spending will boost the economy 

  • Economy needs gov intervention to a certain degree to help people and keep it working properly 

Liberal Democracy

• Dominant political force 

• Democracies spread mainly after the fall of the SU

• Constitutional rule 

  • Need for gov but scared of gov 

  • All gov is potential tyranny against the individual 

  • Humans will naturally use talents at the benefit or expense of others

  •  ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely’

  • ‘Great men are almost always bad men’

  • TAME THE GOV 

  • Constitution = set of rules to allocate duties powers and functions

  • Defines the extent of gov power and limits its rule 

  • Bill of rights 

  • Legal relation between the individual and the state

  • “Delcaration of the right of man and the citizen” 

  • Can be established through internal constraints that disperse political power - seeks to stop anyone from gaining dictatorial powers (legislative, executive, and judicial branches) ex. Cabinet, parliament

  • Judiciary is means of interpreting the law - POLITICAL NEUTRALITY 

Democratic rule

• Gov by the people - involvement of the citizens 

• Gov for the people - democracy is public interest (representative)

• Scared early on - system of rule by the masses at the expense of wisdom and property 

• Demo can become enemy of individual liberty - people are not a singularity 

• Democracy is the rule of the 51 percent - the tyranny of the majority - individual and minority rights can be crushed in the name of the people

• Wisdom in unequally distributed because of education 

• The uneducated are more likely to act according to narrow class interests, whereas the educated are able to use their wisdom and experience for the good of others - HOW TRUE IS THIS? 

• J.S. Mill - he proposed a system of plural voting that would disenfranchise the illiterate and allocate one, two, three or four votes to people depending on their level of education

• Founded on consent 

• Protective democracy - voting rights extended to the propertied and could defend their rights against the government 

• Utilitarianism implies that individuals will vote to advance or defend their interests as they define them

• Unrestrained democracy is tyranny but with no democracy there is ignorance and brutality 

Future of Liberalsim

• Optimistic - convinced liberal values and structures will triumph 

• The end of an ideology 

• progressivism - slowly the world will progress and it is inevitable 

• Appeal is extending beyond the west 

• Marxists think liberalism is the enemy of social justice 

• May actually belong to illiberalism - opposition or absence of liberalism

  • Authoritarian regimes can compete with the economic performance of liberal democracies 

  • More global income is held by authoritarians (russia, china, saudi arabia) then the liberal west 

  • Middle class provides authoritarians with critical support