Liberalism PDF

LIBERALISM 1. IDEOLOGY LIBERALISM 2. LIBERALISM – ROOTS ‒ Religion, Political & Social Theory, Economics… 3. LIBERALISM – IDEAS ‒ Human Nature ‒ Freedom ‒ Equality ‒ Role of the State ‒ Conception of Property ‒ Role of the Individual ...

LIBERALISM 1. IDEOLOGY LIBERALISM 2. LIBERALISM – ROOTS ‒ Religion, Political & Social Theory, Economics… 3. LIBERALISM – IDEAS ‒ Human Nature ‒ Freedom ‒ Equality ‒ Role of the State ‒ Conception of Property ‒ Role of the Individual  IDEOLOGY “a belief system accepted as truth by some group” Simplifies, describes, prescribes… Ideology ‒ Coined by Antoine Destutt de Tracy ‒ Became pejorative when Napoleon ridiculed adherents as ideologues. ‒ Used by Marx & Engels “political ideas in action” ‒ motivate masses  IDEOLOGY Ideology vs. Philosophy Ideologies often draw from philosophy ‒ Often simplify and sometimes distort philosophical views Plato distinguished between philosophy (knowledge/truth) and belief or opinion.  IDEOLOGY 1. “Social belief accepted by large numbers” 2. “Mixture of factual and moral beliefs” 3. Simplifies complexities to make them understandable to many people 4. A system of beliefs – interrelated set of ideas IDEOLOGY  IDEOLOGY Liberalism Conservatism Socialism Libertarianism Fascism Communism What doesn’t fit? Environmentalism Feminism Nationalism  LIBERALISM – ROOTS Liberalism has roots in… 1. Religion ‒ Martin Luther 2. Political Theory ‒ John Locke, Mary Wollstonecraft 3. Social Theory ‒ J.S Mill, Harriet Taylor 4. Economics ‒ Adam Smith  LIBERALISM – ROOTS Religion – Martin Luther (1483-1546) Everyone is equal in the eyes of God ‒ No evidence around him – drawn from the Bible Challenged the authority of the church ‒ vs. corruption Selling indulgences 95 Theses Translated the Bible into the language of the people ‒ Opportunity to read and understand for themselves Practiced what later was called freedom of conscience and religion – but was not a liberal himself  LIBERALISM – ROOTS Political Theory – John Locke (1632-1704) Reason Liberty Equality Limited government ‒ Rights (natural rights) ‒ Morality (natural law) ‒ Consent of the governed ‒ Separation of powers ‒ Religious toleration  LIBERALISM – ROOTS Political Theory – Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) Debated human rights, virtue and the French Revolution with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. ‒ ♀as fully human ‒ Freedom essential for virtue ‒ Rights and virtue should be the same Human rights = ♀rights ‒ Vote, run for office ‒ Education ‒ Property/ business ‒ Professions/business  LIBERALISM – ROOTS Social Theory – John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) On Liberty (1859) ‒ Foundation for freedom of thought/expression ‒ Vs tyranny of the majority ‒ Harm principle: the only justification for limiting liberty is to prevent harm to others On the Subjection of Women (1869) ‒ Marriage as then practiced - slavery ‒ ♀♂children and society are better off if ♀ Can vote, run for office, obtain an education, own a business Divorce + retain custody of children  LIBERALISM – ROOTS Social Theory – Harriet Taylor (1808-1858) Influenced & married J.S. Mill ♀ ‒ Human potential ‒ Rights ‒ Enfranchisement ‒ Property ‒ Divorce ‒ Custody of children  LIBERALISM – ROOTS Economics – Adam Smith (1723-1790) Self-interested choices lead to the optimal distribution of resources, the common good ‒ “By pursuing his own interests he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.” Invisible hand – Laissez faire economics – only control the market to prevent monopolies, ensure a free market ‒ vs monopolies Spontaneous order vs planning ‒ Too much planning ‒ intrusive government ‒ excessive restrictions on freedom  LIBERALISM – IDEAS HUMAN NATURE Human Nature seen as ‒ Rational ‒ Good ‒ Self-Interested Human good is enhanced by maximizing freedom  LIBERALISM – IDEAS FREEDOM CLASSICAL LIBERALISM REFORM LIBERALISM ‒ Freedom from… ‒ Freedom from + freedom to… ‒ Negative Freedom ‒ Positive Freedom ‒ Absence of coercion ‒ Freedom involves capacity ‒ Material minimum needed to exercise freedom ‒ Reduce some people’s freedom to create opportunity  LIBERALISM – IDEAS EQUALITY CLASSICAL LIBERALISM REFORM LIBERALISM ‒ Equality of Right ‒ Equality of Right + Opportunity ‒ Equal subjugation to the same ‒ Give everyone a fair chance rules ‒ Reduce economic & social ‒ … of law, of the marketplace differences ‒ Use state power to make starting points fairer, less unequal  LIBERALISM – IDEAS ROLE OF THE STATE CLASSICAL LIBERALISM REFORM LIBERALISM ‒ Limited State ‒ Limited and Welfare State ‒ “Negative” ‒ “Positive” ‒ “Night Watchman” ‒ Education/ financing ‒ “Caretaker” ‒ Food, clothing, shelter ‒ + Provides collective goods ‒ Healthcare ‒ Avoids free riders ‒ Anti-discrimination ‒ Proportional taxation ‒ Progressive taxation ‒ Social conception of property  LIBERALISM – IDEAS SOCIAL CONCEPTION OF PROPERTY Society enables individuals to: ‒ Obtain property ‒ Maintain property Social element of value ‒ Value determined by marketplace ‒ Made of members if society and governed by society’s rules More property = more owed to society  LIBERALISM – IDEAS ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL LIBERALISM REFORM LIBERALISM ‒ Limited franchise ‒ Universal Suffrage ‒ Property ‒ J.S Mill ‒ Race/ Gender ‒ Since the common welfare is the function 1917-40 Women of the state, everyone 1947 Chinese Canadians is entitled to a share in 1948 Japanese Canadians political power 1960 Status Indians