Liberalism key thinkers PDF

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Liberalism Key ThinkersThinker Human Nature Society State EconomyJohn Locke Classic LiberalHuman beings are rational, guided by the pursuit of self- interest, but mindful of other concerns. Humans rationality enables them not to have destructive tendencies.Society predates the state; there were ‘nat...

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Liberalism Key Thinkers Thinker

Human Nature

Society

State

Economy

John Locke Classic Liberal

Human beings are rational, guided by the pursuit of selfinterest, but mindful of other concerns. Humans rationality enables them not to have destructive tendencies.

Society predates the state; there were ‘natural’ societies with natural laws and rights. Rejects the conservative view that no society could arise without formal authority.

Requires a limited government to protect our freedom as ‘where laws do not exist a man has no freedom’. Achieved through a social contract. (ie. constitution). As rational entities, we realise that our liberties are best protected by a state, who can properly uphold our basic liberties.

He placed importance on property rights as he felt that the natural right of property comes from the right of one’s labour. State policy should respect the “natural right” to private property and arbitrate effectively between individuals competing for trade and resources.

Mary Wollstonecraft Classic Liberal

Rationalism defines both genders; intellectually men and women are not different and are equal. Women may appear inferior due to lack of education and opportunity. An optimistic view of human nature parallel to that of the Enlightenment but thought it should apply to women as well.

Looked down on society, believing it had oppressed women and had stifled ‘female individualism’. Thought society had ‘infantilised’ women and made them seem weak and society is flawed because it undermines women.

The monarchical state should be replaced by a republic which enshrines women's rights. Wanted to put power in elected officials, with women having representatives to help further their course By denying women the right to vote, the state was violating the idea of government by consent.

Once women were liberated, they will be able to energise the free market economy wanted women to be able to have economic freedom, believing that this was harming society by having women as “domestic slaves”. Women should be allowed the same rights regarding private property as men.

John Stuart Mill Classic Liberal

Although fundamentally rational, human nature is not fixed and always progressing to higher levels. Developed the harm principle which distinguishes between self-rewarding and other-regarding actions. We should be free to pursue those actions that in no way constrain the liberty of others. We should, therefore, be able to engage in self-regarding action.

The ideal society is one where individuality coexisted with tolerance and self-improvement. Mill warns us against the mediocrity of public opinion and tendency to tell everyone to act the same manner. The despotism of custom seeks to crush self-expression and is therefore contrary to the right and proper goal of a liberal society. We need to facilitate

The state should proceed cautiously towards representative democracy, mindful of minority rights. The liberal state should not tolerate “other-regarding” human actions, which could include violent or riotous behaviour. Mill was concerned that government by consent would be compromised if the wishes of some individuals were

Laissez-faire capitalism is vital to progress, individual enterprise and initiative. Mill favoured inheritance taxation, trade protectionism, and regulation of employees’ hours of work. Although Mill favoured mandatory education, he did not advocate mandatory schooling. Instead, he advocated a voucher system for schools and

“experiments in living” in order that freedom is experienced to the very full. A liberal society is one that tolerates the full diversity of lifestyles.

overwhelmed by the majority of individuals. Mill feared a democratic state had the potential to create ‘tyranny of the majority’

a state system of exams to ensure that people had reached a minimum level of learning.

John Rawls Modern Liberal

Mankind is selfish yet empathetic, valuing both individual liberty and the plight of those around them. Foundational equality meant that individuals required both equality under the law and social and economic equality.

The society most individuals would choose would be the one where the condition of the poorest improved. Rawls constructed the original position (the current society which requires individuals to create a better society) and the veil of ignorance (individuals are not aware of any other factors) and are all rational, free and morally equal beings.

The state should enable less fortunate individuals to advance via public spending and public services (welfare state). An enlarged state has more laws, more state spending and more taxation. Rawls argued that an enlarged state liberates its individuals from social and economic problems, enabling them to fulfil their potential - an enabling state.

Free market capitalism should be tempered by the state’s obligation to advance its poorest citizens. An enabling state, a redistribution of wealth is needed to improve the lives of the poor. Higher income - leads to higher % of income paid in tax. This means that some individuals who have higher incomes would sacrifice more of their earnings to the state

Thomas Hill Green Modern Liberal

Laws alone cannot make people good, but they can enable individuals to make themselves good. Ego is constrained by a certain degree of selflessness.

Society is not egalitarian (the doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities), which is defensible because it caters to different talents possessed by different people. The poor are cynical about their prospects of self-advancement that they do not seek to move up in society.

The state should protect social political and economic environments so that individuals can act according to their conscience. However, too much state intervention may lead to closed down opportunities and prevent the moral development of the individual. Favours local options and laws depending on the problems faced by communities and not a nationwide ‘one size fits all’ type law

Inequalities of wealth in the economy is inevitable and often beneficial under capitalism. Taxes on individual’s income and wealth is legitimate on the grounds it provides security for his holdings. Free trade produces a redistribution of resources from where they are of least use to most users. Capitalism benefits everyone in the long run: the wealth of the rich is used to raise the standard of living.

Betty Friedan Modern Liberal

Human nature has evolved in a way that discourages selfadvancement among women. Believes all individuals should

Society remained chauvinistic against women, with women being complicit in their own repression. The illiberal views

The state should legislate to prevent discrimination against female individuals. Cited the ‘harm principle’ in favour of an

Free-market legislation can help female emancipation from the patriarchal society if used with legislation to prevent sexual

be free to seek control of their lives. Gender is a hindrance to all individuals who were female in allowing them to realise their full potential. Believed in the equality of all and rejected both male and female chauvinism (the idea that women had any superiority)

within society (as opposed to human nature) condemned women to underachievement. Women were sold a lifestyle that centred around marriage, the home, the family. This conditioning meant many women believed their life was controlled by human nature and not their own rationality.

enabling state, stating that laws criminalising discrimination prevented females from having their liberties harmed by others. Rejected the idea the state was patriarchal and forever controlled by a dominant gender, offering a more optimistic view.

discrimination. Believed that the government should interfere with the economy via Keynesian Economy....