Are the Values of Liberalism Universal

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This is an immensely complex questions which deserves much more time and space than can be devoted in this essay. However I will endeavor to apply the theories of a number of authors to the problem and arrive at a reasonable conclusion based upon my analysis of them.

Throughout the course of the essay I will make reference to a number of authors, writing on subjects of Ethics, Philosophy and Feminism, with the intention of attempting to divine the validity to the claim of liberalism’s universality. To start of with there will be an examination of the theory of liberalism itself, with particular focus upon the notion of individuality and its conception of rights in accordance with it. Using the work of George Beiswanger and Bhikhu Parekh I will analyse the claims to universality and their shortcomings. Moving on from the ideal of individualism somewhat and into the arena of Feminism and the Liberal bias towards men over women. I will look at the work of Susan Moller Okin and her criticism of a number of non-liberal minority groups and their subjugation of women. With the intention of assessing whether it is correct to be using liberal ideals to judge and change the activities of culturally different groups. Finally using the origins of the current strain of liberalism which has its roots in the enlightenment period, I will attempt to assess whether the claims of universality are valid and therefore right to be exported and imposed on the decidedly non-liberal groups of the world.

Before I begin I feel it necessary to make my initial viewpoint clear on the subject. I firmly believe in the benefits of democracy and the liberal viewpoint of the world. I believe in individual rights and the sanctity of the individual regarding action...

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...t Good’, Ethics, Vol. 60, No. 2, (Jan., 1950), pp. 112-119

Bhikhu Parekh, ‘The Cultural Particularity of Liberal Democracy’, Political Studies, (1992), XL, Special Issue, pp.160-175

Susan Moller Okin, ‘Feminism and Multiculturalism: Some Tensions’, Ethics, Vol. 108, No.4, (July., 1998), pp. 661684

Answers.com, “Manifest Destiny” [Internet], The American heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004, Available from: , Accessed Date: 10/01/10

CNN.com, ‘Bush Pledges to spread Democracy’, [Internet] 20 Jan 2005, Available from: , Accessed Date: 10/01/10

Richard Hooker, Paul Brians., May 18 2000, [Internet], Available from: , Accessed Date: 10/01/10

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