Differing Views and Tensions within Liberalism

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.