Scribd
Upload
44 views12 pages

2 - Liberalism

Uploaded by

sunfleurstore
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
44 views12 pages

2 - Liberalism

Uploaded by

sunfleurstore
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 12

LIBERALISM

Origins and development


of liberalism

Liberalism:
• Theoratical roots goes back earlier (17, 18th century) than its
emergence in practise
• A product of the breakdown of feudalism in Europe (19th c.)
reflected the aspirations of the rising middle classes
• was revolutionary and radical, challanging against
‘absolutism’ , ‘aristocracy’ & ‘church’ dominance.
• spread widely in the nineteenth century and had
predominance in the West; associated with the rise of
industrial society as well.
• Some called the ‘ideology of middle-class’ or ‘bourgeois’
Key assumptions of liberalism
- General

- Influenced by the Enlightenment thinking.


- Holds a central belief in personal autonomy and the
prevalence of human reason.
- It gives priority to ‘right’ over ‘good’
- Evolved over the course of time
- Classical liberalism is often called ‘nineteenth-century liberalism’, but
its principles still appear in 20th and 21th century liberal ideologies as
well
Classical Liberalism
Key Values

• Liberty (Freedom)

– Ability to reason and choose: essential substance for individuality


– Negative in nature
– Some basic Rights
• Life
• Liberty (Freedom of thought and religion & expression)
• Property
• Pursuit of Happiness
– Limit of Freedom: Harm Principle
Key Values:
Human

• Individualism

– Primacy and logical priority over Society


– Faith in human reason & moral autonomy
– Self-reliant , Self-regarding & Utility-maximers
– Equation of rights and liberties
Key Values:
Society

• Self-generated order as the basis of the ideal social structure


– Fine tuning of competition with freedom
• Economics
– Free Market Economy: Market Fundemantalism?
• Politics
– Democracy
• Society
– Toleration
– Diversity and Pluralism

– Against social rationality and design


– Concept of Justice
• Right distribution of awards and punishments
• Meritocracy. Giving everyone what he/she is due.
• Equality of Opportunities
• Social Darwinism
Key Value:
State

• Liberal State is the Minimal State


– Natural Law & Social Contract
• From Hobbes absolutism (Leviathan) to John Lock’s natural rights
– State as a ‘necessary evil’
– Constitiunalism
– Seperation of Powers
– Role of State- Minimum Intervention
• Security
• Justice
• Infrastructure
Modern liberalism

• Sometimes described as ‘twentieth-century’ liberalism, and


linked to the secondary effects of industrialization.

– Inequality in industrialized societies and unrestrained capitalism led


modern liberals to re-evaluate the role of the state in rectifying the
injustices and inequalities created in the society.
– Have some common themes with social democracy, both of which
represent some revisions in the original one
Modern liberalism- 1

Key Principles

• Individuality
– Not self regarding but self-fulfilment
• Positive freedom
– Freedom is the ability of the individual to develop and attain individuality
– Recognizing the role of social conditions for self-realization
• Unrestrained capitalism and market fundemantalism do not offer the same opportunities to everyone.
– Help the individual to help himself in a collective action
Modern liberalism- 2

Key Principles (cont’d)

• Welfare/Social liberalism
– New theory of justice: basic equality as fairness
– The state’s role to reduce social disadvantages for enjoyment of individual rights
• Economic management
– Great depression- 1930’s and failure of free-market
– Keynesianism- debate of unemployment
– Managed economy vs unregulated market
– Regulatory bodies for industries
Classical vs Modern :
Comparasion
Classical Liberalism Modern Liberalism

Economic Liberalism Social Liberalism

Egoistical individualism – Maximize utility Developmental Individualism- Personal growth

Negative Freedom Positive Freedom

Free Market Economy Managed Ecoonomy

Minimal state Enabling State

Strict meritocracy- safety net welfare Concern for poor- Cradle to grave welfare

Indiviudal responsibility Social Responsibility

Right based justice Justice as fairness


Some concepts in controversy

• Tolerance
• Diversity & Pluralism
– Liberalism : value-netural or a value-package?

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy