ideology essat

Modern and Classical liberalism share foundational values rooted in their views of human nature as rational;

individual freedom, the rule of law and constitutional government - but diverge significantly in how these are realised.

While modern liberals build upon the legacy of classical liberalism, they …

adapt and reform key ideas, particularly the role of the state, freedom and equality.

Therefore, modern liberalism accepts the core principles of …

classical liberalism, but reinterpret them to suit modern economic and social contexts.

Classical liberalism, as exemplified by John Locke, sees human beings as rational, self-interested and capable of managing their own lives without undue interference. Locke’s social contract theory argued that government is legitimate only if …

it protects individuals’ natural rights - life, libert and property. In this model, the state is a minimal “night watchman”, intervening only to enforce contracts, uphold the rule of law, and protect private property.

Freedom is understood negatively - as the absence of external interference - and society is seen as atomistic, composed of self-reliant individuals. Locke states in On Liberty that …

“government should always be the servant, not the master of the people”, emphasising distrust of concentrated power and a commitment to limited government.

Modern liberals, however, developed their ideas in response to the inequalities created by industrial capitalism. While they retain the classical commitment to individual liberty, they argue …

that freedom must be positive = the ability to actually achieves ones potential, requiring state support.

John Rawls, a modern liberal thinker, argued in A theory of Justice that inequalities are often only justifiable if they benefit the least well-off, which requires active state intervention to redistribute wealth and opportunity. His thought experiment of …

the “veil of ignorance” supports a more extensive welfare state: if individuals designed society without knowing their future social position, they would favour fairness and basic equality to avoid intolerable disadvantage, reflecting a more optimistic view of human nature as empathetic and cooperative, in contrast to the classical liberal suspicion of state power

This evolution also reflects a shift from egotistical individualism to developmental individualism. Where classical liberals believed freedom lay in non-interference, modern liberals believe …

 it lies in empowerment - through education, healthcare and social security. The state, therefore, becomes an enabling force, not just a protector

For example, modern liberals support state-funded services to ensure all individuals have equal opportunities to flourish, whereas …

classical liberals should view such intervention as an infringement on individual autonomy. 

Economically, classical liberals such as Adam Smith championed laissez-faire capitalism arguing that the ‘individual hand’ of the market would …

produce the greatest good. Smith believed free markets encouraged competition, innovation and individual freedom.

The classical liberal view links economic freedom directly with political liberty - state interference in markets is seen as a threat to both. However this optimism about …

 self-regulating markets was shaken by the great depression of the 1930s, which led modern liberals to adopt Keynesian economics.

 Influenced by John Maynard Keynes, modern liberals argue that state intervention is essential to avoid unemployments, stimulate demand and ensure economic stability. Unregulated capitalism, they contend …

can lead to inequality and instability that undermine individual freedom in practice, even if it preserves it in theory.

Critics argued that modern liberalisms interventionism can lead to bureaucracy, inefficiency and even dependency. These concerns fuelled the …

rise of neoliberalism in the late 20th century - a revival of classical liberalism, emphasising deregulation, privatisation, and a reduced welfare state.

 However, modern liberals continue to defend their approach as a necessary adaptation of liberal values to a complex, interdependent society. Some thinkers, such as john stuart mil, help bridge the two traditions. While initially …

 a classical liberal, Mill later supported limited social reforms, arguing for “a two way relationship between the individual and the community”.

His idea of rule utilitarianism allowed for state action if it enhanced long-term liberty, prefiguring the modern liberal belief in a supportive state. This highlights …

how modern liberalism evolved rather than rejected classical ideas.