Liberalism

The Enlightenment Period

• Religious protesters broke away from the catholic church to form a new protestant christianity known as reformation - emphasising a more personal connection with God rather than traditional figures of monarchy

• Led to the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries - arguing the importance of free thinking and reason over spirituality and superstition

• Led to huge political upheaval, challenging autocracy and the divine right of kings

View on Human Nature

• Egotistical

• Rational

• Progressive

• Optimistic

Egotistical

Every individual seeks self realisation, self determination and self actualisation

Rational

Our behaviour is usually guided by reason and logic rather than emotion and impulse

Progressive

Human nature is constantly developing through knowledge and education

Optimistic

Positive view of humanity, believing that through rational discussion, humans can resolve problems and cooperate

View on Society

• Natural

• Tolerant

• Individualistic

Natural Society

• Predates the existence of the state of government

• Should give natural rights to life, liberty and property

• Should be natural law - no infringing on natural rights

• Should provide natural justice - compensation for rights infringement

• Will be possible due to the rationality of human nature and fundamental decency

• Developed to improve the already tolerable situation

Tolerant Society

• State should liberate all actions and opinions unless they violate the liberty of others - harm principle

• Can create clashes of tolerance

• Leads to questions of whether extremists should be tolerated

Individualistic Society

• Argues a legitimate society is one where the maximum number of people can persue self realisation and self determination

• Natural rights denied to women and patriarchal society conflict with self determination of women

• Concerns on protecting individuals who are minorities

View of Economy

• Defence of private property

• Defence of capitalism

• Defence of inequality

Defence of Private Property

• Locke argues private property is a natural right which predates the state

• Mill argues property facilitates individualism by encouraging independence and self determination

Defence of Capitalism

• Argue private enterprise allows for individual liberty

• Smith supports free trade and free market, arguing that removing obstacles to allow trade will enrich both individuals and nationa

• Argues governments should have limited interference in the economy

Defence of Inequality

• Capitalism produices inequality of outcome, defended by the ideas that accumulated wealth will trickle down to all members of society

• Unequal outcome encourages a meritocratic society

• Rawls argues this should only be supported if inequality of outcome also has equality of opportunity

View of the State

• Constitutional

• Fragmented

• Representative

• Meritocratic

• Democratic

• Judicial Supremacy

Constitutional State

• Power should not be used in an unlimited way

• Power should be limited by the preconditions of government

• Procedures and methods are stated in a constitution

• Formalised equality in a constitution

Fragmented State

• Power should be shared evenly to be widely excercised

• Series of balances and checks to prevent concentration of power

• Reflects positive and trusting view on human nature

Representative State

• State derives power feom citizens rather than divine right of kings

• Liberal states include representative bodies to allow discussion

• Liberals should reject paternalistic state

Meritocratic State

• State should be governed by those who have earned their authority

• Justified French revolution by suggesting aristocratic rule is beyond equality, reason and wisdom

Deomcratic State

• As people are born equal and rational all adults should vote

• Locke believed only those with property should vote

• Mill feared uneducated voters would lead to less tolerance

Judicial Supremacy

• Wary of parliamentary sovereignity

• Liberal state seeks to protect from elective dictatorship

• Dispersed power includes supreme courts