LIBERALISM
Key beliefs Key quotes/ideas
John Locke Social contract theory - government was On human nature - ‘reason must be our last
Key text - two treatises of Government (1690) based on the consent of the governed, which judge and guide in everything’
could be given and taken away, in return for On authority - ‘it is evident that absolute
protection of rights. This was based on the monarchy… is indeed inconsistent with civil
rationality of humans. society’
On the state - ‘where there is no law, there is
Limited government - government should no freedom’
have checks and balances on its power, On the state - government should protect
based on consent of the governed ‘life,liberty and estate’
On society - natural law meant humans
Rejection of the traditional, hierarchical state, should not harm ‘the life, the liberty, health,
especially the ‘divine right’ of monarchies limb, or goods of another’
Mary Wollstonecraft Reason - women are rational beings who can On the rights of women - ‘I do not wish them
Key text - a vindication of the rights of women act independently and are capable of reason to have power over men; but over
(1792) themselves’
Formal equality - all individuals have the On education - ‘strengthen the female mind
same political and legal rights and this by enlarging it, and there will be an end to
includes women as they are rational blind obedience’
individuals. Women should therefore be On equality and rationality - ‘my own sex, i
allowed the same civil rights as men, hope, will excuse me, if i treat them like
including education. rational creatures, instead of flattering their
fascination graces, and viewing them as if
Women should be allowed to have a career they were in a state of perpetual childhood,
in order to ensure that they are economically unable to stand alone’
free and not dependent on men. On freedom and equality - described women
as ‘slaves… in a political and civil sense’
John Stuart Mill Harm principle - individuals should be free to On freedom - ‘the only freedom which
Key text - on liberty (1859) do as they wish, as long as their actions do deserves the name, is that of pursuing our
not result in the harm of others. own good in our own way, so long as we do
, not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or
Tolerance - there should be an acceptance of impede their effort to obtain it’
differing views and beliefs, even if an On the state - ‘the only purpose for which
individual does not agree with them. power can be rightfully exercised over any
member of a civilised community against his
Human actions are either ‘self-regarding’ or will, is to prevent harm to others’
‘other regarding’. Self-regarding actions On freedom - ‘the human faculties of
affect the individual acting, whereas perception,judgement,discriminative feeling,
other-regarding actions affect other people. mental activity, and even moral preference,
are exercised only in making a choice. He
who does anything because it is the custom,
makes no choice’
John Rawls Theory of justice - that there must be social On social justice - rawls argued for
Key text - A theory of Justice (1971) justice within society and society must ‘distributive justice’
guarantee every individual a life worth living. On social justice - ‘it may be expedient but it
is not just that some should have less in
The veil of ignorance - a philosophical order that others may prosper’
question by Rawls designed to show that On freedom - ‘each person is to have an
redistribution of wealth was in line with liberal equal right to the most extensive basic liberty
values. It suggested that when people were compatible with a similar liberty for others’
asked to agree on what society they wanted, On equality - ‘in a just society the liberties of
they did so without knowing what kind of equal citizenship are taken as settled; the
person they might be in the new society (eg. rights secured by justice are not subject to
a man or woman, black or white etc.) political bargaining or to the calculus of social
interests’
Individuals within society should not be able On the state and social justice - ‘the natural
to succeed at the expense of others distribution is neither just nor unjust; nor is it
(distributive justice); there should be a unjust that persons are born into society at
greater role of the state in narrowing some particular position. These are simply
excessive inequality. natural facts. What is just and unjust is the
way that institutions deal with these facts’
Key beliefs Key quotes/ideas
John Locke Social contract theory - government was On human nature - ‘reason must be our last
Key text - two treatises of Government (1690) based on the consent of the governed, which judge and guide in everything’
could be given and taken away, in return for On authority - ‘it is evident that absolute
protection of rights. This was based on the monarchy… is indeed inconsistent with civil
rationality of humans. society’
On the state - ‘where there is no law, there is
Limited government - government should no freedom’
have checks and balances on its power, On the state - government should protect
based on consent of the governed ‘life,liberty and estate’
On society - natural law meant humans
Rejection of the traditional, hierarchical state, should not harm ‘the life, the liberty, health,
especially the ‘divine right’ of monarchies limb, or goods of another’
Mary Wollstonecraft Reason - women are rational beings who can On the rights of women - ‘I do not wish them
Key text - a vindication of the rights of women act independently and are capable of reason to have power over men; but over
(1792) themselves’
Formal equality - all individuals have the On education - ‘strengthen the female mind
same political and legal rights and this by enlarging it, and there will be an end to
includes women as they are rational blind obedience’
individuals. Women should therefore be On equality and rationality - ‘my own sex, i
allowed the same civil rights as men, hope, will excuse me, if i treat them like
including education. rational creatures, instead of flattering their
fascination graces, and viewing them as if
Women should be allowed to have a career they were in a state of perpetual childhood,
in order to ensure that they are economically unable to stand alone’
free and not dependent on men. On freedom and equality - described women
as ‘slaves… in a political and civil sense’
John Stuart Mill Harm principle - individuals should be free to On freedom - ‘the only freedom which
Key text - on liberty (1859) do as they wish, as long as their actions do deserves the name, is that of pursuing our
not result in the harm of others. own good in our own way, so long as we do
, not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or
Tolerance - there should be an acceptance of impede their effort to obtain it’
differing views and beliefs, even if an On the state - ‘the only purpose for which
individual does not agree with them. power can be rightfully exercised over any
member of a civilised community against his
Human actions are either ‘self-regarding’ or will, is to prevent harm to others’
‘other regarding’. Self-regarding actions On freedom - ‘the human faculties of
affect the individual acting, whereas perception,judgement,discriminative feeling,
other-regarding actions affect other people. mental activity, and even moral preference,
are exercised only in making a choice. He
who does anything because it is the custom,
makes no choice’
John Rawls Theory of justice - that there must be social On social justice - rawls argued for
Key text - A theory of Justice (1971) justice within society and society must ‘distributive justice’
guarantee every individual a life worth living. On social justice - ‘it may be expedient but it
is not just that some should have less in
The veil of ignorance - a philosophical order that others may prosper’
question by Rawls designed to show that On freedom - ‘each person is to have an
redistribution of wealth was in line with liberal equal right to the most extensive basic liberty
values. It suggested that when people were compatible with a similar liberty for others’
asked to agree on what society they wanted, On equality - ‘in a just society the liberties of
they did so without knowing what kind of equal citizenship are taken as settled; the
person they might be in the new society (eg. rights secured by justice are not subject to
a man or woman, black or white etc.) political bargaining or to the calculus of social
interests’
Individuals within society should not be able On the state and social justice - ‘the natural
to succeed at the expense of others distribution is neither just nor unjust; nor is it
(distributive justice); there should be a unjust that persons are born into society at
greater role of the state in narrowing some particular position. These are simply
excessive inequality. natural facts. What is just and unjust is the
way that institutions deal with these facts’
