Liberalism - key thinkers

John Rawls (1921-2002)

Betty Friedan (1921-2006)

John Locke (1632-1704)

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97):

John Stuart Mill (1806-73)

Key points:

  • natural rights; 'life, liberty, property'
  • social contract theory
  • consent to be governed
  • right to revolt
  • limited function and purpose of gov
  • toleration

Key points:

  • impact of French Revolution 1789
  • rights and freedoms not just for men
  • formal equality
  • human, not male rationality
  • the significant of education
  • republicanism

Key points:

  • views changed on role of the state
  • harm principle, self regarding and other regarding
  • individuality & uniqueness, developmental individualism
  • tolerance and freedom
  • fear of democracy, tyranny of the majority

Key points:

  • 'veil of ignorance' and the 'original position'
  • a more equal society within a capitalist state
  • tax & redistribution
  • 'justice as fairness', for all citizens
  • freedom & equality can coexist

Key points:

  • liberal feminism
  • 'the problem with no name'
  • choice and freedom for women
  • the interventionist state, equality of opportunity
  • anti-discrimination, an activist seeking to change attitudes, the state has a role to play

links to classic & modern

modern

modern

classic

classic

Wrote 'The Feminine Mystique' 1963

Individualism:

  • all individuals should be free to seek control over their own lives and full realisation of their potential
  • gender was a serious hindrance to those individuals that were female

Women's underachievement:

  • illiberal attitudes in society is what condemned women to underachievement
  • these attitudes nurtured and transmitted via 'cultural channels' notably schools, media, organised religion etc
  • these channels of 'cultural conditioning' left many women convinced their lot in life determined by human nature rather than nationality & enterprise - Frieden wanted to challenge this irrational assumption

Liberal constitutionalism:

  • disdained violence or illegality as a means of pursing change
  • significant process can be possible via legal equality, brought about by procedures of a liberal state
  • acknowledged principles of US constitution & endorsed its capacity to allow continuous improvement to individuals lives
  • rejects radical feminist argument that state is patriarchal and under control of dominant gender

1) core liberal principle of 'foundation equality' meant individuals required of formal equality (law & constitution) and greater social & economic equality, necessary to ensure a just society where all lives could be rich & fulfilled, this can only be provided by significant redistribution of wealth via an enabling state with extensive public spending & progressives taxation

Wrote 'A theory of justice'

2) proved redistribution of wealth isnt socialism, 'original position' to ask individuals to construct a superior society, second 'veil of ignorance' about who they might be in new society

  • when faced with conditions, human nature (rational and empathetic) choose society where poorest have better conditions
  • while many choose to help poorest, they still want considerable scope for individual liberty, self-fulfilment and thus inequalities of outcome
  • lot of poor improved by state, but not argue gap between richest and poorest narrowed, thus distinct from socialism

'transitional liberalism' and 'developmental liberalism'

Negative freedom:

  • work On Liberty
  • freedom mainly involved an absence of restraint
  • connected to harm principle, individuals actions tolerated by state or individuals, unless demonstrated action harm others

Human actions:

  • 'self-regarding' or 'other regarding' actions
  • former, not infringe on the freedom of others and thus tolerated, later, clearly did 'harm' the freedom of others in society so not tolerated by liberal state
  • diverse opinions important as new ideas emerge and bad ideas exposed via rational debates

Liberty:

  • not just as a 'natural right' and an end in itself but as an engine of ongoing development - human nature was never the 'finished article', always room for improvement

Individualism:

  • not want to liberate individuals as they were present, instead pondered what individuals could become
  • termed 'individuality' since referred to as developmental individualism
  • "better to be socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied"
  • any support for liberty had to look as man as a progressive being

Democracy:

  • concerned principle of 'government by consent' would be compromised if wishes of some individuals overwhelmed by wishes of most individual citizens
  • feared 'tyranny of majority'

wrote 'A vindication of the Rights of Women'

Human nature:

  • Enlightenment's optimistic view of reason should be applied to all human beings
  • 18thC England, both society and state implied women not rational, thus denied individual freedom & formal equality
  • e.g. women rarely had land ownership
  • women could not vote for who governed them, violation of 'government by consent'

Female individualism:

  • fetting female indiviudalism, nations like England limiting their stock of intelligence, wisdom and morality
  • final of liberty to an entire gender left society vulnerable to doctrines that threatened spirit of enlightenment

Revolutions:

  • welcomed American Revolution 1776 & French Revolution 1789
  • a vindication of the rights of men, attacked Burke's critique of French revolution
  • importance for republican government & formal equality, constitutional defence of individual rights
  • formal equality for all, French Revolution emphasis on 'citizens' and indifference to gender differences

Women themselves:

  • women complicit in their subjugation, often only desire marriage & motherhood
  • formal education should be made available for as many as possible
  • without this, individuals not recognise their potential & never recognise the absurdity of illiberal principles e.g. divine right of kings

Book 'Two Treaties of Government' key cornerstone of liberal thought

Ruling:

  • denied traditional, medieval that state was God's creation, as well as the divine right of kings
  • rejected notion that ordinary people were subjects of the state with quasi-religious obligation to obey monarchs ruling
  • true state is one created by mankind, from consent of those governed

Natural society:

  • prior to state's existence, 'natural society' which served mankind interests tolerably well - state of nature - rationalism
  • believed state of nature underpinned by 'natural laws', 'natural liberties' and 'natural rights'
  • the alternative 'state of law' designed to improve upon tolerable situation, meant to resolve disputes more efficiently than state of nature
  • state of law only legitimate if natural rights and laws respected; states structure must embody natural rights & liberties
  • must reflect voluntary consent to accept state's rulings in return for state improving their situation (social contract theory)

Limited government:

  • because of contractural nature, have to embody limited gov - always representing interests of governed and always requiring ongoing consent of governed
  • dispersal of powers e.g. executive & legislative branches separate, lawmakers seperate form law enforcers