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Liberalism 1
Politics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Liberalism | set of ideas derived from the enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries |
| Classic Definition of Liberalism | - recognises equality for everyone - common rights of humanity - people should be able to live freely - everyone should have the freedom to pursue personal goals Thomas Jefferson - US Declaration of Independence 1776 |
| What did Kant argue about the rights of an individual? | - argued that all individuals are unique - everyone has equal worth - people shouldn't be treated as instruments to achieve a particular goal - should be regarded as having intrinsic value |
| What is the Categorical Imperative? | the moral requirement to perform an action for its own sake, not any gain |
| Egotistical Individualism | - Classical Liberalism - the view that people are self-seeking and self-reliant - minimises the importance of society - society is a collection of independent individuals |
| Developmental Individualism | - Modern Liberalism - plays down the pursuit of self-interest - justifies the support for some state-intervention to assist the disadvantaged |
| Tolerance | to show a degree of forbearance of the immense diversity of human life |
| Tolerance and the Importance of the Individual | - should not be taken away against the will of the individual - originally applied to religious belief - e.g having a relaxed view about sexuality |
| Freedom/Liberty | - the most important liberal value - emerged as the reaction against authoritarian governments taking decisions on behalf of people |
| Why can freedom never be absolute? | - absolute freedom, with no rules, would cause chaos - freedom must be exercised within the law - protects people from interfering in others' rights |
| What did Utilitarian thinkers argue about liberty? | - humans are motivated by seeking pleasure and avoiding pain - each individual can decide what's in their own interests - government should not prevent people from seeking what's best for them Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) |
| Problem the Utalitarian view about Liberty | minorities could be overlooked at the expense of the majority |
| Positive Freedom | the possession of the power and resources to fulfill one's own potential |
| Negative Freedom | freedom from external restraint |
| Positive Role of Necessary Evil | - the state is needed to avert disorder - to protect the vulnerable from exploitation |
| Negative Role of Necessary Evil | - belief that humans are self-seeking - humans pursue power for their own interests, at the expense of others - fear the concentration of power - concerns about exploitation |
| Features of Limited Government | - constitutionalism - branches of government and separation of power - checks and balances to prevent abuse of power - Bill of Rights to provide a statement of citizens' rights |
| Devolution to tackle the Concentration of Power | - Liberals are suspicious of central government - e.g supported devolution to Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly |
| Federalism to tackle the Concentration of Power | - system of government in USA and Germany - state shares power with central (federal government) |
| What did Adam Smith write in The Wealth of Nations (1776)? | - free markets guided by self-interest and regulated by competition (the invisible hand) lead to economic prosperity and societal benefit Adam Smith (1723-1790) |
| Rationalism | the belief that humans are rational creatures, capable of reason and logic |
| What influenced Rationalism? | - scientific development in the 18th and 19th centuries - published boundaries of human understanding - liberated people from a blind faith in established authority/tradition/superstition |
| How does faith link to the idea of a progressive society? | - the personal development of an individual promotes wider social development |
| Examples of Liberals Seeking to Avoid War | - the League of Nations - the European Union |
| League Of Nations | - forerunner of United Nations - attempt to provide a forum for countries to discuss problems and avoid war |
| European Union | - by surrendering some national sovereignty, states gain greater benefits (e.g larger trading area) - prosperity through free trade means less likelihood to go to war |
| Equality of Opportunity | everyone should have an equal chance to rise or fall in life |
| How do Liberals emphasise Equality of Opportunity? | - accept differing outcomes because people have differing potentials and abilities - people should be free to reach their potential |
| Foundational Equality | the rights that all humans have, simply by being born |
| Why do Socialists criticise Liberalism? | - Liberalism doesn't take inequality - Liberalism is closely linked to the capitalist idea of competition - Socialists aim to achieve equality of outcome through state redistribution of wealth |
| Why do Liberals believe that individuals with different talents should be rewarded differently? | - people have different strengths and abilities - social inequality is beneficial for society as an incentive to work harder - people will make the most of their abilities - leads to idea of meritocracy (success is based on ability) |
| How did Liberal PM William Gladstone modernise entry into the civil service? | - introduced a competitive exam for civil service entry in the 1870s - appointment was no longer based on aristocratic connections (nepotism) |
| What did Mary Wollstonecraft argue? | - that women are as rational as men - women should have the same rights as men to pursue a career - women should be able to own their property when married |
| How did modern liberals support full civil rights for everyone? | - modern liberals gave full civil rights for women and minority groups - e.g Obama supported transgender people using bathrooms of their choice at school |
| What do Modern Liberals argue about state intervention? |
Created by:
19thomps
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