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Liberalism

Liberalism. Origins and Premises. Classical Liberalism. Emphasis on Individual Liberty As humans are fundamentally rational Everyone should have equal opportunities Origins can be traced to a reaction against the rigid medieval social structure Religious Conformity Ascribed Status.

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Liberalism

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  1. Liberalism Origins and Premises

  2. Classical Liberalism • Emphasis on Individual Liberty • As humans are fundamentally rational • Everyone should have equal opportunities • Origins can be traced to a reaction against the rigid medieval social structure • Religious Conformity • Ascribed Status

  3. Religious Conformity • No distinction between Church and State • Join forces to ensure conformity to the doctrines of the Church

  4. Ascribed Status • Social Standing fixed or “ascribed” at birth • Clergy, Nobility, Commoners, and Serfs • Were born into one rank and would die in that rank • No opportunity to advance

  5. Triggering Events • The reaction to these events did not take place until a number of social, economic, and cultural changes disturbed the medieval order • Many of these were directly related to the outburst of creativity in the 14th and 15th centuries known as the Renaissance

  6. Triggering Events • The Black Death • 1347-1351 • killed one of three people • Created new opportunities for survivors

  7. Triggering Events • Expansion of trade, commerce, and exploration • Columbus’ discovery of a “new world” was a symbol of great possibilities

  8. Triggering Events • Protestant Reformation • 1521 Luther nailed 95 theses to church door • Favored strict attention to scripture • Unintentionally paved way for individual liberty

  9. Triggering Events • England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688 • Taxation battle between the House of Stuart and Parliament • Mainly a war of words • Produced much thought and theorizing

  10. Thomas Hobbes • Wrote Leviathan • Felt people should obey those in power • But, because of self interest rather than God’s command

  11. Hobbes • Imagined people in a State of Nature’ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_nature • All have natural right to do what they want • Problem is Human Nature • With no authority, war of all against all • So, fearful and rational individuals enter into a social contract to establish authority

  12. John Locke • Individuals are rational • Reason is the Law of Nature that Governs the State of Nature • Inconveniences in State of Nature • Reason, tolerance AND selfish simultaneously • Enter into Social Contract to protect Life, Liberty, and Property • Emphasis on Consent and Limited Government

  13. Liberalism as a System of Thought • Fundamental Liberal Principle: • “Freedom is normatively basic, and so the onus of justification is on those who would limit freedom, especially through coercive means.” (SEP) • First Coherent and Systematic theory • (Other than religion) • Four inter-related components: • Epistemology • Human Nature • Community • Politics

  14. Vs. Religion as an Ideology • Tells you: what you can know • what are essential qualities of human nature • what society is like • gives direction on how to lead life • If illiberal, is disallowed • otherwise consumer choice as long as act liberal the rest of the week

  15. Variants of Liberalism • Negative Liberty • Where there is no one who deliberately interferes with another’s activities. No coercion. (opportunity concept) • Positive Liberty • Freedom exists only when a person is self-directed and autonomous (an exercise concept) • Republican Liberalism • Focus on “potential limits” to freedom (“defenseless susceptibility to interference” - SEP). Distribution of power within the system can achieve this Each of the above for the debate w/in liberalism re: “how does one conceive liberty?”

  16. Relationship to Property • Two connections • Private property as a concept allows each to live their lives as they see fit. Liberty and property are the same thing. • Private property ownership is the only effective means for the protection of liberty. • Based on the dispersion of power within a free market system, “protecting subjects against encroachments by the state. (SEP) • Hayek’s arguments valid?

  17. Epistemology • How we know what we know • Every individual can have direct knowledge of the world • New way of looking at world • 16th/17th c. Bacon, etc. • Science • Rejection of medieval conception of knowledge • Only certain people could know • Hierarchical control of knowledge

  18. Liberal Epistemology • Rational: integrative, rule-governed thinking • Mechanism of thought is the same for all • Through REFLECTION have access to world • World is also rule-governed and rational • Parallels our way of thinking • Capacity to ABSTRACT • Can apply what we know to other situations • Knowledge can change what people are • Our behavior reflects our epistemology

  19. Human Nature • Fundamentally Rational Individuals • People are basically good with good intentions • Have passions and desires but, through reason, can control and direct actions • Are primarily motivated by self-interest • Inherently Competitive • Emphasis on Individual Liberty and Rights • Seems very natural in English-speaking world

  20. Community • Fundamentally Asocial (islands) • Concerned with others to extent influence us • For example: State of Nature • no society • no socio-historical circumstances • no context • no community • just happen to live together so form a polity

  21. Polity • Produced by people who reason independently and equally • Community is not much of a concern • Need to interact, so form state to regulate exchange; State is a Mediator • Locke: limited government, protect property • Emphasis on fairness and equality • Reform aspect: test social arrangements to try to make better

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