Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Liberalism core themes
- Individualism
- Individual over any other social group or collective body
- Some liberals see society as a collection of individuals
- C. B. Macphearson, (classical), 'possessive individualism'. Individual regarded the individual as proprietor of his own interests
- All liberals have a desire to create a society where each person is capable pf developing and flourishing to the fullness of his or her potential
- Egoism and self love are natural
- Freedom
- Liberty gives individuals freedom/ opportunity to pursue their own interests by exercising choice
- If liberty is unlimited it can become 'licence' to abuse others
- John Stuart Mill
- Freedom should only be limited to prevent harm to others (harm principle)
- Negative Freedom
- each person to be left alone, freedom from external intervention
- Classical Liberals
- Sumner "A drunken in the gutter is where he ought to be"
- Smiles "heaven helps those who help themselves"
- Belief in the free market
- Positive Freedom
- freedom to achieve self rationalisation
- Modern Liberals
- Beveridge, 5 giants
- Equality of opportunity
- Reason
- Capacity to weigh up options and arrive at a justified conclusion
- This ability is innate
- Different and competing interests can be taken to a
third person who can weigh up and make a
judgement (legal system)
- Justice
- Human Equality
- Formal Equality
- Equality of opportunity
- Toleration
- Voltaire, "I detest what you say but I will
defend to the death your right to say it"