Liberalism Core Values

Individualism

• Individualism began to develop when the feudal system was being displaced and individuals were presented with a greater range of social possibilities.
• Reminder: During the feudal period, lords controlled the economy and politics alongside the church. Once this system fell, capitalism developed and the middle class emerged which led to many more people desiring to participating in politics.
• Individualism promotes:
• The interests and welfare of the individual should come above all other values and principles
• The objective of the political system is to protect the interests of the individuals
• Assumes individuals are rational and will pursue their own interests
• This allows for a society where everyone is capable of developing and flourishing to their maximum potential
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Individualism

• Egotistical Individualism:
• Individuals are selfish and self-reliant; egoists are self-seeking and wanting to demonstrate their greatness
• An individualist will want to adopt a free market stance
• Within a society, an egotistical individualist boasts about their success (directly or indirectly) e.g. by saying they are rich
• Can also be called 'possessive individualism' - all human actions are inherently selfish
• Relates to classical liberal ideas and tradition
• Developmental Individualism:
• This is the belief that personal growth and self-realisation are the basis of development
• Society should be constructed in such a way that benefits the individual
• This is part of an enabling state; the state creates conditions that allows the individual to excel (e.g. health and education)
• This allows people to choose progress in a sense, rather than there be intervention or the use of force to make people succeed
• Developmental individualism falls more in line with modern liberal beliefs

Freedom

• Individual liberty is of supreme political value; people are able to act and think as they wish. Having freedom is what allows the individual to develop their best qualities. However, liberals do not believe in absolute freedom as this can lead to the abuse of others.
• John Stuart Mill accepted minimal restrictions on freedom only to prevent the harm of others. Moreover, as an individual you must respect the right of each individual to an equal entitlement to liberty. John Rawls argued that everyone is entitled to the largest amount of liberty possible, once this is the same for all.
• British historian, Isaiah Berlin developed a concept that split liberty into negative and positive freedom.
• Negative freedom: man should be able to enjoy an environment free from restrictions
• Positive freedom : also termed real liberty, as positive freedom contains laws and restrictions
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Reason

• Liberalism can be viewed as part of the Enlightenment project. Reason is the factor that allows humans to determine their own destiny (personal development). It also is strongly opposed to the principle of paternalism.
• Liberalism was heavily influenced by the Enlightenment; it emphasised that man is a rational being, guided by reason and rationality. Therefore, as rational beings people are capable of making decisions for their own good. So, there is no need for an outside power or authority to instruct them. Further, the progress of society is believed to occur through the initiative of the individual.
• “Rationalism is the belief that the world has a rational structure and that this can be disclosed through the exercise of human reason and critical enquiry”. - Adam Smith
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Toleration

• This is labelled as one of the greatest benefits of a liberal society; a place willing to accept and celebrate diversity of all kinds. This leads liberalism to the acceptance of pluralism. Liberals commit themselves to tolerance. As Voltaire put it, "I detest what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it".
• The liberal case for toleration first emerged with Locke in his 'Essay Concerning Toleration 1667', where he defended the rights to religious freedom. John Stuart Mill argued for toleration in order to prevent society from conforming to some dull democracy.
• Liberalism ultimately believes that all diversities (beliefs, faiths, ideologies, and opinions) should co-exist together. Moreover, no one community/section has a right to impose its decisions or beliefs on another.

Equality

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• This is relevant in the political, as well as religious and moral spheres. Religious-minded people will claim that all are born equal, and it is wrong to deprive a man of his equal status with others.
• Liberalism also is a practical ideology. In society, individuals cannot all claim to possess the same levels of merit, intelligence and ability to work. Therefore, there must be differences in the way people are rewarded.
• This type of social inequality does not effect the concept of equality; as people should be able to obtain minimum privileges that everyone has legitimate claim to.

Equality

• Foundational/formal equality:
• This emerged out of the concept of natural rights; all are born equal
• This includes legal equality; the law does not discriminate
• Political equality; universal suffrage and equal weighting of all votes
• Equality of opportunity:
• Everyone is entitled to an equal chances
• Liberalism believes natural inequality is right; people have different talents and abilities
• However, inequalities resulting from social circumstances are wrong
• Equality of outcome:
• Means there is an equal distribution of rewards
• Often linked to ideas of redistribution of wealth
• This type of equality can be worthwhile for enhancing individual liberty and social harmony

Justice

• This is a certain type of moral judgement that offers rewards and punishments. Individualism as a principle implies that there is a commitment to foundational equality - humans are seen to all have equal moral worth at birth. Liberalism also implies formal equality; individuals should have the same formal status in society.
• Therefore, Liberals are opposed to social privileges and advantages. Liberalism believes in equality of opportunity (everyone has the same chance) but liberals do not endorse equality of outcome (meritocracy - merit should be recognised and given its fair share). Human rights for Liberals should never be reserved for a particular class of people. The most important forms of egalitarianism relate to legal (equal application of law for all citizens) and political equality.
• These interpretations of a just society form the conception of liberal justice.

Consent and Constitutionalism

Consent and Constitutionalism

• Consent:
• First put forward in the writings of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Hobbes and Locke argued that when members in a state assembled together to decided to set up a body politic the decision needed to be based on the consent of all.
• Consent holds a very important role in democracy today. Many liberal thinkers were supportive of the idea that every law and policy should be based on the consent of whom the laws were made for. This principle of consent thus comprises the basic structure of society.
• Constitutionalism:
• Split up into two meanings - narrow and broad. Narrow constitutionalism means there is limits on the government outlined by the constitution. Narrow means that when a government is attempting to go about business it must follow these restrictions.
• In the broad sense, the constitution contains values and principles that guide the government. This allows the government to develop along the aspirations of the people and make decisions for the betterment of society.
• Constitutionalism means the government never has unlimited freedom to do anything. There are basic rules and principles to follow legally.
• Constitutionalism is another name for either limited government or the theory of limited state.