Political Theories-Liberalism

Can also be known as economic liberalism

• Focus on indivual capitalism/success
• Minimal state intervention
• Low tax economy
• Competition leads to lower prices
• Self regulating
• Allows choice (key ideas-good human nature)
• High risk business due to minimal control
• Class divide
• Monoploising of bsusiness
• Expolitation of workers

• Typically left wing
• Believe in social security (i.e welfare state)
• Nationalisation of services/industry
• Personal freedom
• Equal opportunity
• Reduces suffering
• Prevents exploitation by businesses
• High tax society
• More succesful "bail out" the less
• Government can set high prices
• High level of state scrutiny (1984)

• Human Nature:
• Positive view
• John Locke & John Mill-succeed when given freedom (classical liberalism)
• "Where there is no law, there is no freedom"-Locke

The State (system of security/government/citizens/welfare state):

• Don't reject state's role (even classical liberals)-not anarchism
• Conditions regulating state
• Classical liberals: need basic rules but no personal gain

Society (electorate not government):

• Positive view of society-champion social justice (modern liberalism)
• Socially just society should provide equal opportunity (modern liberalism)

The Economy

• Not state's role to govern economy (classical liberalism)
• Regulated and governed economy (modern liberalism)

Hobbes: Classical Thinker 1600s

• "Where there is no law, there is no freedom"
• Government should only maintain law-there shouold be self regulation of economy
• Natural rights
• Believed in individual freedom
• Concerned about freedom's effect on society ("solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short")

Locke:  Classical Thinker 1600s-1700s

• People naturally pursue own interests (invisible hand)
• "Humans are naturally social and sympathetic"-so should have personal freedoms
• Tolerance of political and religious views
• Some regualtion of free markets required but minimal

Mill: Modern Thinker (Just!) 1800s

• Harm principle
• Believed in freedom until the point of harm

Rawls: Modern Thinker 1970s-2000s

• Believed in the equal distribution of freedom
• If unrestricted freedom leads to an unequal distribution of freedom, it is unjust
• State regulation
• Liquidate class divide

Tyranny of the Majority: one large group exerts influence over smaller groups
           for example: an all male electorate may not support progress in women's rights

Liberal Depotism: freedom and rights but no democracy

Liberal Democracy: democratic system of governmetn in which individual rights and freedoms are protected-no one is above the law, there is free press, universal suffrage and everyone is entitled to a fair trail

Hobbes: Classical Thinker 1600s

• "Where there is no law, there is no freedom"
• Government should only maintain law-there shouold be self regulation of economy
• Natural rights
• Believed in individual freedom
• Concerned about freedom's effect on society ("solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short")

Locke: Classical Thinker 1600s-1700s

• People naturally pursue own interests (invisible hand)
• "Humans are naturally social and sympathetic"-so should have personal freedoms
• Tolerance of political and religious views
• Some regualtion of free markets required but minimal

• Liberal/Radical/Cultural and Socialist feminism
• Liberal and Socialist feminism most prevalent today
• Mary Wollstonecraft=classical (freedom for women, equal education)=18th century
• Betty Friedan=modern (governed rights of women, equal opportunity in all areas)

Rawls-most sympathetic to feminist cause?

• Only key thinbker modern enough for it to be a prevalent issue
• Veil of ignorance-no mention of ignorance regarding gender
• Revised theory to include ignorance of gender