Definition
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The ideology of classical liberalism is concerned with the conception
of an ideal society. The term classical refers to the early form of
liberalism that flourished for much of the nineteenth century. It sees
human nature as essentially selfish but rational. Therefore the ideal
society is one where individuals have maximum freedom to pursue their
own interest in competition with everyone else.
Origins
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Origins of classical liberalism are derived from the break up of the
feudal system, which allowed people more economic freedom and allowed
possible the early growth of capitalism. The fusion of economic and
political liberalism has produced a powerful doctrine that has
influenced governments ever since. However before CL had fully
matured, it was preceded by two opposing movement: Natural rights and
utilitarianism.
Natural Rights
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This doctrine, developed by Thomas Hobbs and John Locke in the 16th
and 17th century is fairly famous due to Hobbs unflatteringly
described 'state of nature' which states without a rule of a sovereign
body then society becomes a 'war…of every man against every man' which
leaves life 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short'. It was argued
by both that each man is born with certain rights, which are natural
and cannot be denied to him by others. This includes the rights to
life, liberty and to avoid pain. In order to protect these rights, man
must also consent to accept control from a sovereign in order to
protect these rights and if this is not accepted, they will be
limited. (This could also be confused by description, as aut...
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...re with the natural state of society with providing local
services such as welfare and education that according to Spencer was
tampering with the processes of nature.
Samuel Smiles, a follower of Spencer, took this further and actually
campaigned against welfare provision as it's up to individuals to make
the best of their own lives according to their abilities without
relying on others.
Summary of Classical Liberal Ideas
· The most basic value that must be preserved in society is individual
liberty
· The free working of the economic system is vital in maximising
prosperity
· The state should play a minimal role in society
· Inequality is natural. Creating greater equality is an interference
with nature
· On the whole, individuals are responsible for themselves and their
own welfare
In the 1997 article, “On The Uses of a Liberal Education: As a Weapon In the Hands of the Restless Poor,” published by Harper’s Magazine, the social critic Earl Shorris described how political power could be achieved by a rather non-vocational educational discipline, the humanities. He emphasizes on how the knowledge of a liberal Education can be used as a form of weapon within the lives for the poor.
Overall, politics are key in determining whether this era was predominantly liberal or conservative as well as economic and social reforms. On an aside, conservatism can be defined as a political philosophy based upon tradition and social stability while liberalism can be defined in two ways. Modern Liberalism emphasizes liberty and rights but, believes in strong government intervention in order to prevent the growth of a capitalist society, while classical liberalism advocates liberty and the autonomy of the individual. With these definitions given it can be concluded that the progressive era promoted change as well as government intervention to prevent capitalism from spreading and the autonomy of the individual. In conclusion, for the most part the Progressive Era from 1901-1907 was a triumph for modern and classical liberalism.
One of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers was John Locke, an English philosopher and physician. His work and ideas had a incomputable impact on modern day society. He was known as “Father of Liberalism” due to his opinions of freedoms and liberty. According to Locke, the people were entitled to have control over themselves as long as it adheres to the law. The Second Treatise on Civil Government by John
During the 19th century, there were many important political ideologies all across the European continent. There was Conservatism, which favored the old or traditional political ideas. The extreme opposite of Conservatism was Liberalism. During this time period, Liberalism was considered any idea that went against the ideas of Conservatism. However, the ideas of Nationalism, possibly the most powerful political ideology of the time, did not fall under Conservatism or Liberalism. Nationalism was its own ideology that happened to be very compatible with Liberalism. Nationalism was the idea that nations should be comprised of people who share common roots and should be under one government; however, the Vienna Settlement directly opposed their ideas. The Austrians saw nationalism as a threat to them because they were comprised of many smaller nations while there were nationalist movements in
John Locke is known as the “Father of Classical Liberalism” and is said to be one of the most influential philosophers. Locke believed that all humans are born with natural rights and had the right to protect their “Life, liberty, health and possessions”. Locke also believed that we have the right to overthrow our government if we didn’t like it or got tired of it and he wanted a limited
In the 1800’s, the social structure of Europe was changing. The industrial revolution brought new technologies and techniques that lead to more production, and a more prosperous European society. With these great changes to society and the way things were produced, changes in the government and how the society was run was imminent. Both The Law by Frederic Bastiat and Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx present new and fresh ideas on how society should be governed, Bastiat going into the concepts of liberalism and Marx the concepts of communism, both of which are oriented to the individual rights of people in these European societies.
John Locke is best seen as the “Father of Classical Liberalism” making him one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers during the 17th-century, considered as the era of modern philosophy. Locke puts his trust in human reasoning because he believes that all humans are born equal, stating that no one has power above another person and that they have the right to commit the actions that each one pleases to do so. In the Second Treatise of Government Locke says, “we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man” (Locke 8). Locke explains how men are reasonable when they make decisions, leaving it entirely up to the person to do as ...
For centuries philosophers have debated over the presence of free will. As a result of these often-heated arguments, many factions have evolved, the two most prominent being the schools of Libertarianism and of Determinism. Within these two schools of thought lies another debate, that of compatibilism, or whether or not the two believes can co-exist. In his essay, Has the Self “Free Will”?, C.A. Campbell, a staunch non-compatiblist and libertarian, attempts to explain the Libertarian argument.
The actions from the Luddites, Chartists, and the Sadler Committee were a reaction to Classical Liberalism. The extent of those actions reacting to Classical Liberalism is to the extent of social, political, and economic change.
that it was up to them to shape the way this new land would function,
From this new movement of thought came two of many men with the most influential thoughts of all time. Thomas Jefferson and John Locke restructure civil and political society, according to their principles, they became visionaries of a new government established on the prominence of human nature and an enlightened society. (cite 1) Locke and Jefferson wrote documents proclaiming Freedom for all. Locke stated man should have a natural right to life, liberty, and property, and Jefferson stated, mankind had inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
The conservative movement has played a crucial role in American politics in the post war era. Ronald Story and Bruce Laurie indentify various elements of the American conservatism. These elements include challenging authoritarian governments and modernist culture, upholding tradition, Christian religion and the rule of law, defending western civilization, and supporting republicanism. American conservatism has been characterized by competing ideologies and tension throughout history. The Americans who are politically liberal and economically conservative favor free trade, minimal state intervention, low taxes, and a small government. On the other hand, conservatives hold the view that American traditional values are normally undermined by secularism. Social conservatives have always opposed same-sex marriages and abortion, and instead have been supporting the idea of integrating prayer into the school curriculum (Story and Laurie 1).
Their philosophy can be considered opposite of most other ideologies, especially that of contemporary liberalism. Contemporary liberalism strives to hold on to the classic liberal ideals pertaining to political, economic, and social liberties but it tends to look at democratic government as a tool rather than a hindrance. John Stuart Mill, John Dewey, and Franklin D. Roosevelt are established ideologues of contemporary liberalism. Just opposite of anarchism, modern liberalism puts its faith in government to change and adapt to the failures of capitalism. The emergence of this political philosophy started around the end of the nineteenth century with John Stuart Mill's ideas in his book Principles of Political Economy.
Kramnick, Isaac. "Lockean Liberalism and the American Revolution." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. History Now, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/road-revolution/essays/lockean-liberalism-and-american-revolution
Modern day society is engrossed in a battle for protection of individual rights and freedoms from infringement by any person, be it the government or fellow citizens. Liberalism offers a solution to this by advocating for the protection of personal freedom. As a concept and ideology in political science, liberalism is a doctrine that defines the motivation and efforts made towards the protection of the aforementioned individual freedom. In the current society, the greatest feature of liberalism is the protection of individual liberty from intrusion or violation by a government. The activities of the government have, therefore, become the core point of focus. In liberalism, advocacy for personal freedom may translate to three ideal situations, based on the role that a government plays in a person’s life. These are no role, a limited role or a relatively large role. The three make up liberalism’s rule of thumb. (Van de Haar 1). Political theorists have