16/17 - Liberalism Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in 16/17 - Liberalism Deck (24)
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1
Q

What is common for liberalism?

A
  • Aim to promote individual liberty
  • Value liberty
  • Disagree about the nature of liberty
2
Q

Barry’s 3 common features of liberal states

A

1) Religious toleration
2) Freedom of the press
3) Abolition of servile social status - not born into social status

3
Q

Barry’s 3 features of liberalism

A

1) No religious dogma can reasonably be held with certainty
2) Every doctrine should be open to critical scrutiny
3) Fundamental equality of all human beings: inequality is an artifact (construction)

4
Q

The origin of liberalism and its development (medieval Europe)

A
  • Religious conformity
  • Feudalism = wealth ↑ power ↓
  • Ascribed status
  • Political absolutism
5
Q

The origin of liberalism and its development (medieval Europe - challenging the medieval order)

A
  • Questioning religious conformity
  • Rejecting ascribed status
    • Favour:
      1. achieved status
      2. equal opportunity
  • Overthrowing absolute monarchy
6
Q

The origin of liberalism and its development (medieval Europe - protestant reformation)

A
  • Luther against Church corruption and priestly authority
  • Unintentionally paves the way for religious pluralism and eventually toleration
  • Luther and John Calvin: non-resistance to political authority
  • Later Calvinists: right to overthrow rulers who do not tolerate free exercise of their religion
7
Q

The origin of liberalism and its development (revolutions - England 1688)

A
  • Out James II and Catholicism
  • Constitutional monarchy
  • Freedom of worship for dissenters
  • Religious toleration
8
Q

The origin of liberalism and its development (revolutions - American 1776)

A
  • No taxation without representation
  • All men are created equal
  • Legitimate government protects our natural rights
9
Q

The origin of liberalism and its development (revolutions - France 1789)

A
  • The rights of man and the citizen
  • Equal opportunity
  • Constitutional government
  • Religious toleration
10
Q

Central themes of liberalism

A

1) Individualism
-The primary of the
individual
-Immanuel Kant (1724-
1804): enlightenment,
morality, freedom, dignity
-Kant: Treat human
beings never merely as a
means to an end but
always at the same time
as ends in themselves
2) Freedom (liberty) - Mill’s harm principle
-Negative freedom:
absence of obstacles,
barriers, and constraints
-Positive freedom:
freedom to take control
of one’s life
-The three-part concept
of freedom: A is free from
B to do or become C
3) Reason
-The enlightenment and
progress
-Against paternalism
-Promoting discussion
and argument
4) Justice
-Moral equality
-Equal citizenship
-Equal opportunity
5) Toleration
-Secularism - no state
religion
-Pluralism
-Toleration and autonomy
(two types of liberalism)

11
Q

The liberal state

A
  • State and the rule of law applies to everyone equally
  • State as a social contract
  • John Locke on political authority and the state
12
Q

What is constitutionalism?

A

Constitution, Bill of -Rights, Rule of Law, prevention of tyranny of the majority

  • Separation of powers: executive, legislative, and judicial
  • Other ways to check power: cabinet, parliament, bicameralism, federalism
13
Q

Common themes of classical liberalism

A
  • Individuals are predominantly self-interested
  • Negative freedom
  • See the state as a necessary evil
  • Positive view of civil society as a realm of freedom
14
Q

Sources of classical liberalism

A

1) Natural Rights
-John Locke and Thomas
Jefferson
-Three minimal functions
of the state: property and
public order, defence,
and contract
enforcement
-Argument for the
administration of justice
2) Utilitarianism (Bentham)
-What makes the majority
of people happy
-Utilitarianism and
classical liberalism
3) Economic liberalism
(Adam Smith)
-Against mercantilism
-Seeking economic liberty

15
Q

Smiths ideas on capitalism

A
  • 1776: Smith’s wealth of nations
  • Competition is fair and efficient
  • Invisible hand: from self-interest to the public good
  • Free trade benefits everyone
  • Benefits those who are the worst off
  • Promotes international peace
  • Conductive to order, good government, liberty, and security
  • Fosters self reliance
16
Q

Government’s role according to Smith

A
  • Defend against attack
  • Protect property rights
  • Maintain order
  • Provide public education
  • Provide infrastructure needed to do business
17
Q

Smith’s view of distributive justice

A
  • Opposes trade barriers

- Supports taxation to benefit the poor

18
Q

Smith on the poor

A
  • Rejects prevailing negative views of the poor

- Are dignified, industrious, equally capable, and entitled to their fair share of goods

19
Q

Fourth source of classical liberalism - social darwinism

A
  • Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
  • Social evolution
  • Absolute property rights
  • Ineffectiveness and corruption of welfare programs
20
Q

Spencer on distributive justice

A

No state aid to the poor because: they are unfit to survive. society is too complex to be controlled in the way that governments want, shouldn’t override property rights

21
Q

Key ideas of modern liberalism

A
  • Individuality (John Stuart Mill)
  • Positive freedom
  • Social liberalism
  • Economic management (regulation)
22
Q

Green’s welfare liberalism

A
  • Government is not merely a necessary evil

- State can advance individual liberty by promoting equal opportunities for all

23
Q

Green on freedom

A

-Two concepts of freedom
-Negative freedom:
absence of restraint
-Positive freedom:
actual ability to do
something worth doing
(Green’s view)
-Main obstacles to freedom: poverty, ignorance, prejudice, sickness
-Government can promote freedom through poor relief, public schools and hospitals, and regulations of working conditions

24
Q

Social liberalism and economic management

A
  • The welfare state
  • Rights: civil, political, social, and economic
  • John Rawls on liberal justice
  • John Maynard Keynes