Chapter 2: Liberalism
(F) Day of the week: Monday Class: IS301 Created Time: November 2, 2020 2:19 PM Database: Class Notes Database Date: November 2, 2020 2:19 PM Days Till Date: Passed Last Edited Time: June 9, 2021 10:42 AM Type: Lecture
1. Three Historical Perspectives on Liberalism
1.1. John Locke
Notion of Individual Rights
- Rights to acquire property
- Rights to revolt
- Rights to subsistence from the surplus of others
Non-interference of market, tax, society
Government functions
- Protect individual rights
- Never impose tax without consent
His ideas contradicted the states (monarchy) in power
⇒ Locke was named national traitor and exiled
1.2. Adam Smith
“The Wealth of Nation” his book about economics
He adopted from Locke ideas
People’s jobs are based on their field of specialization
Trade and competition will lead to lower price and better products for everyone
Rights is the basis for development to commercial wealth
- Economic self-interest
- Free trade
Knowledge should be spread freely ⇒ bringing more economic growth
The Notion of Charity
Principle that you should help other when you’re rich (Private Firms)
- Malinda Gates foundation
Smith against Locke, who said government should have rights to subsistence from government when in need.
- Getting help from government will lead to more involvement
- Implement Market mechanism & charity to be self-sustainable and get rid of government involvement
Problem
- People are skeptical that the rich will help the poor
- Government will be biased towards their interests who are the rich and elites
2.3. John Stuart Mill
Pragmatic & Practical
Critical of natural rights
- No one is guaranteed rights from birth
- Only the rich will be able to secure their rights, not the poor
Utilitarian Foundation
goal of increasing happiness
- something is right when it benefits the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people
Toleration
- Public opinion should not be censored or suppressed even if its supposedly wrong
- The religious church is conflicted with the fallibility of human knowledge
Toleration acceptance
Three Rights of Modern Liberalism
Civil Rights: societal functions, religious beliefs
Political Rights: vote, right to be represented, protest, government criticism
Social Rights: education, public transportation, free healthcare,
Discussion Questions
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In what sense is liberalism linked to the Enlightenment project?
The Enlightenment: Is the period in Europe history where many thinkers of philosophers, theorists, and scientists that switched Europe from Aethistic beliefs and ideals to logical, scientific, and scholastic beliefs
It helped inform the public to the ideas of rights, freedom, justice… ⇒ revolution
- The French Revolution 1789: the highest point of the enlightenment project
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Why do liberals reject unlimited freedom?
Because unlimited freedom will lead to anarchy and chaos in society
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How convincing is the liberal notion that human beings are reason-guided creatures?
Humans sometimes use gut-feelings to deal with situations
Only the most practical and emotionless people will be 100% logical
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Which forms of equality do liberals support, and which do they reject?
Everyone should have the same opportunity and treatment, but whether they take advantage of that is up to them
Liberals support Equally, not equity
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Why do liberals believe that power tends to corrupt, and how do they think it can be ‘tamed’?
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Is liberal democracy a contradiction in terms?
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How do classical liberals defend unregulated capitalism?
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How far are modern liberals willing to go in endorsing social and economic intervention?
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Do modern liberals have a coherent view of the state?
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Is liberal democracy the final solution to the problem of political organization?
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To what extent is cosmopolitanism based on liberal assumptions?
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Are liberal principles universally valid?