Tensions Within Liberalism

What are the areas of agreement for human nature?

• Optimistic view of human nature and progress

• Individuals are morally equal and rational

  • Desire to pursue their own goals

• Individualism should be protected and promoted

• Different values and beliefs should be tolerated

What are the areas of disagreement for human nature?

• Classical: these qualities are innate for individuals, and individuals develop best when left free to pursue their own happiness

• Modern: rationalism needs to be developed and individualism is more of a reflection of what they can become

• Green: clear social dimension, freedom is achieved by working towards the common good

• Feminist and Modern: same levels of rationality applied to men and women

• Early: less concerned with gender equality

What are the areas of agreement for the state?

• State’s role is to promote, protect and uphold individual freedoms

  → Enables individual development

• The state should be limited in some way

What are the areas of disagreement for the state?

• Classical: night-watchman role justified by negative freedom

• Modern: enabling state, intervention should enable people to be free to pursue their own individuality, positive freedom

How do classical and modern liberals view representative democracy?

• Classical: representation of property-owning individuals

• Modern: universal suffrage but concerned about ‘tyranny of the majority’

  • Education is crucial to this

What are the areas of agreement for society?

• Could exist without the state: state of nature

• Humans are innately social beings

• Stress individualism and freedom

• Society should be arranged to allow individuals to achieve self-fulfilment

What are the areas of disagreement for society?

• Classical: natural society existed before the state and was peaceful

  • Individuals are self-seeking and independent but are constrained by their own rationality

    → Respect the rights of others so that theirs are respected in return

• Modern: modern industrial societies are restricting the ability of individuals to be free

  → Support of social justice

• Neo-liberal: enabling state has unjustly reduced liberty and created a dependency culture which limited individualism by taking away self-reliance

What are the areas of agreement for the economy?

• Right to own property

• Advocate an economy based on private property as the best route to creating wealth

• Ownership helps to protect the individual from the state

What are the areas of disagreement for the economy?

• Classical and neo-liberal: the states only role is to protect property and enforce contracts

  → Free trade is the most efficient and prosperous

  → Market should be left to guide rational individuals

• Modern: intervention is justified to ensure full employment and reduce poverty