Studied by 3 people
Human Nature - Similarities
Each human being is unique and endowed with certain 'natural' rights such as the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of self-fulfilment.
Rejects the idea of original sin, offering a more positive view of human nature, arguing that humanity has the capacity to affect steady progress and increase human happiness.
Humans may be egotistical but our behaviour is also rational and respectful to others, guided usually by reason and logic rather than emotion and impulse.
Rejects the notion of a "nasty, brutish, and short" life before the state, instead emphasizing the agreeable and generally efficient nature of pre-state societies.
Human Nature - Differences
Classical Liberalism:
Emphasises individualism, self-centeredness, and self-reliance, believing that individuals are driven by the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
Views humans as thoughtful and empathetic, drawn to intelligent compromise and mutual understanding with others.
Believes that life before the state was generally agreeable and efficient, not necessarily something individuals would have wished to end.
Modern Liberalism:
Views human nature as potentially shaped by enlightened liberal authorities, suggesting that society can influence and develop human characteristics.
Emphasises the need for the state to ensure universal education and provide support in industrialised societies where individuals are less autonomous.
State - Similarities
Both strands believe in the necessity of the state to ensure the protection and preservation of individual rights and freedoms.
Stress the importance of consent and social contracts in the legitimacy of the state.
Advocate for limited government and the need to check state power to prevent the infringement of natural rights.
Share a commitment to improving upon the rights and conditions enjoyed in the state of nature, such as life, liberty, and property.
State - Differences
Classical Liberalism:
Emphasises the role of the state in maintaining order and resolving conflicts in society to prevent chaos and anarchy.
Advocates for a state that is structured to allow individuals to enjoy their natural rights more easily than in the state of nature, with impartial courts and fair methods of resolution.
Modern Liberalism:
Stresses the importance of the state in providing education, public services, and support to individuals to overcome social and economic threats to freedom.
Questions the compatibility of democracy and liberalism, highlighting concerns about majority rule potentially threatening minority rights.
Society - Similarities
Both strands emphasize the importance of individual self-realization and self-determination in society.
Advocate for societies that allow the maximum number of individuals to pursue their goals and interests.
Share a commitment to promoting tolerance and diversity in society, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to flourish.
Society - Differences
Classical Liberalism:
Views society as not dependent upon the existence of the state, emphasising the agreeable and generally efficient nature of pre-state societies.
Concerned with protecting individuals against conformity and suffocating convention, advocating for a more tolerant society to achieve universal self-realisation.
Modern Liberalism:
Emphasises the role of the state in providing support and assistance to individuals in industrialised societies where they are less autonomous.
Stresses the importance of education in promoting greater tolerance and reconciling minority interests with majority interests.
Economy - Similarities
Both strands emphasise the importance of property rights and individual economic freedom.
Advocate for free-market capitalism and the promotion of private enterprise and ownership in the economy.
Acknowledge the inevitability of inequality of outcome in capitalism but emphasise the importance of equality of opportunity.
Economy - Differences
Classical Liberalism:
Advocates for laissez-faire capitalism and minimal government intervention in the economy, believing that market forces will naturally lead to prosperity for individuals and nations.
Views capitalism as consistent with meritocracy and rewards for individual effort and achievement.
Modern Liberalism:
Favours Keynesian capitalism and greater government intervention in the economy to overcome social and economic threats to freedom.
Emphasises the need for more government spending, taxation, and regulation to ensure economic stability and address inequality.
