Liberalism
A Liberal is a person who prioritises the rights of an individual.
Roots of Liberalism
Reformation -> The protestant reformation asserted the belief that individuals should be able
to worship God in their own way rather than through the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Enlightenment -> Rationalistic ideas of science challenged the traditional beliefs of religion.
(belief in reason not faith) e.g., John Locke’s proposal of a ‘social contract’ (government by
consent) challenged absolute monarchy.
Feudalism to Capitalism -> Breakdown of feudalism led to people beginning to think of
themselves as an individual. Capitalism encouraged a new middle class to consider new ideas
and protect property.
Classical Liberalism
- John Locke & Mary Wollstonecraft & J.S Mill
Key Ideas:
- Social contract theory = Locke argued for a ‘government by consent’ The state is based on a
contract between the government and the people – the government agrees to make itself
accountable to the people. This consent is ‘ongoing’ in that it can be removed at any time.
- Foundational equality = All individuals are born with ‘natural rights’ (life, liberty and pursuit of
happiness). These are unalienable rights and cannot be taken away from the state. This means
equal treatment of all citizens under the law. (Thinkers like Wollstonecraft felt this should be
applied to women too). (TOLERANCE)
- Negative freedom = Freedom from constraint and freedom of choice – people are not being
restricted/oppressed by the government through laws, etc.
- Laissez-Faire economics = State plays a limited role in the economy; state should not interfere
with the markets at all.
- Rugged individualism = Those who work hard will succeed in life. Your position in society is
due to your own hands.
- Representative democracy = Electorate with limited education chooses a well-educated
representative to make decisions on their behalf which fit the demands of all of society broadly,
not just a specific aspect.
, Modern Liberalism
- J.S Mill, John Rawls and Betty Friedan
- Emerged as a reaction to free-market capitalism
Key Ideas:
- Foundation equality = Expanded on classical liberalism’s focus on tolerance e.g., Friedan
argued that the state needed to tackle gender inequality and other modern liberals champion
LGBTQ+ communities and ethnic minorities to also receive equal treatment.
- Positive freedom = Mill and Rawls added on positive freedom, while also accepting negative
freedom. It focused on the idea that the state needs to aid people in order to ensure they
receive the maximum levels of freedom, e.g., opportunities and helping people achieve their
dreams.
- Enabling state = The state to play more of an ‘enabling’ role in which they aid individuals
reaching their potential. E.g., Beveridge report in 1942 (welfare state)
- Keynesian economics = The state should be more interventionist in the economy following
Keynesianism, where they prevent economic slumps and unemployment by committing to full
employment and increasing spending.
- Social justice = Rawls’s view on social justice is that inequality in a modern capitalist-based
society could be justified as long as those who do well economically do not do so at the
expense of the least well-off in society.
Core ideas of Liberalism
Individualism - Kant = humans are ‘ends’ not ‘means’
(Classical Liberals believe in egoistical individualism – that humans are self-reliant, self-seeking
and self-interested)
(Modern Liberals believe in developmental individualism, the idea that humans can always
improve/develop whereby the state should intervene to assist individuals in their development
to ensure equality of opportunity in society)
Freedom - Negative (Freedom from constraint or freedom of choice – CL) Positive (Freedom to
flourish and develop created by the state through opportunities – ML)
Reason – Knowledge flows from reason rather than experience – we are rational and can
control/dictate our own destiny.
A Liberal is a person who prioritises the rights of an individual.
Roots of Liberalism
Reformation -> The protestant reformation asserted the belief that individuals should be able
to worship God in their own way rather than through the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Enlightenment -> Rationalistic ideas of science challenged the traditional beliefs of religion.
(belief in reason not faith) e.g., John Locke’s proposal of a ‘social contract’ (government by
consent) challenged absolute monarchy.
Feudalism to Capitalism -> Breakdown of feudalism led to people beginning to think of
themselves as an individual. Capitalism encouraged a new middle class to consider new ideas
and protect property.
Classical Liberalism
- John Locke & Mary Wollstonecraft & J.S Mill
Key Ideas:
- Social contract theory = Locke argued for a ‘government by consent’ The state is based on a
contract between the government and the people – the government agrees to make itself
accountable to the people. This consent is ‘ongoing’ in that it can be removed at any time.
- Foundational equality = All individuals are born with ‘natural rights’ (life, liberty and pursuit of
happiness). These are unalienable rights and cannot be taken away from the state. This means
equal treatment of all citizens under the law. (Thinkers like Wollstonecraft felt this should be
applied to women too). (TOLERANCE)
- Negative freedom = Freedom from constraint and freedom of choice – people are not being
restricted/oppressed by the government through laws, etc.
- Laissez-Faire economics = State plays a limited role in the economy; state should not interfere
with the markets at all.
- Rugged individualism = Those who work hard will succeed in life. Your position in society is
due to your own hands.
- Representative democracy = Electorate with limited education chooses a well-educated
representative to make decisions on their behalf which fit the demands of all of society broadly,
not just a specific aspect.
, Modern Liberalism
- J.S Mill, John Rawls and Betty Friedan
- Emerged as a reaction to free-market capitalism
Key Ideas:
- Foundation equality = Expanded on classical liberalism’s focus on tolerance e.g., Friedan
argued that the state needed to tackle gender inequality and other modern liberals champion
LGBTQ+ communities and ethnic minorities to also receive equal treatment.
- Positive freedom = Mill and Rawls added on positive freedom, while also accepting negative
freedom. It focused on the idea that the state needs to aid people in order to ensure they
receive the maximum levels of freedom, e.g., opportunities and helping people achieve their
dreams.
- Enabling state = The state to play more of an ‘enabling’ role in which they aid individuals
reaching their potential. E.g., Beveridge report in 1942 (welfare state)
- Keynesian economics = The state should be more interventionist in the economy following
Keynesianism, where they prevent economic slumps and unemployment by committing to full
employment and increasing spending.
- Social justice = Rawls’s view on social justice is that inequality in a modern capitalist-based
society could be justified as long as those who do well economically do not do so at the
expense of the least well-off in society.
Core ideas of Liberalism
Individualism - Kant = humans are ‘ends’ not ‘means’
(Classical Liberals believe in egoistical individualism – that humans are self-reliant, self-seeking
and self-interested)
(Modern Liberals believe in developmental individualism, the idea that humans can always
improve/develop whereby the state should intervene to assist individuals in their development
to ensure equality of opportunity in society)
Freedom - Negative (Freedom from constraint or freedom of choice – CL) Positive (Freedom to
flourish and develop created by the state through opportunities – ML)
Reason – Knowledge flows from reason rather than experience – we are rational and can
control/dictate our own destiny.
