POS223 POLITICAL IDEAS POS223 POLITICAL IDEAS LIBERALISM

 Liberalism is a political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality. The former principle is stressed in classical liberalism while the latter is more evident in social liberalism.  Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, they support ideas such as democratic elections, civil rights, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, free trade, and private property.  Liberalism first became a distinct political movement during the Age of Enlightenment, they rejected notions such as hereditary privilege, state religion, absolute monarchy, and the Divine Right of Kings. Instead they sought to replace them with absolutism in government with representative democracy and the rule of law BACKGROUND TO THE IDEA OF LIBERALISM

ETYMOLOGY OF LIBERALISM  The word was first used in Spain in 1375 to refer to the group drawing up the ‘liberal Arts’ in the context of an education desirable for a free-born man  Words such as liberal, liberty, libertarian, and libertine all trace their history to the Latin liber, which means "free"  The Latin ‘Liber’ referred to a class of freemen. That is, men who were neither serf nor slaves.  By the 1840s, liberalism came to be known in Europe as a political idea. Liberal ideas, resulted from the breakdown of feudalism in Europe and the growth in its place of a market or capitalism.  These ideas were first drawn together and systematised as a distinct ideology, by the English philosopher John Locke, generally regarded as the father of modern liberalism

LIBERALISM AS A POLITICAL IDEOLOGY  Liberalism contains a set of beliefs based on the fact that there should be as much individual freedom as possible.  It was an attack on absolutism while advocating for constitutional and representative government.  In its evolution, freedom of speech holds a central place and tolerance becomes its hallmark.

BASIC TENETS OF LIBERALISM  Individualism: Liberalism reflects the primacy of human individual over social groups and religious beliefs. That is, individual is of special value.  Reason: Man is seen and believed to be a rational creature. He has immense potential to contribute to social progress as well as his own good.  Toleration: Liberalism emphasizes the willingness to accept and celebrate moral, cultural and political diversity. Locke was also formulated a general defence for religious toleration in his Letters Concerning Toleration.

BASIC TENETS OF LIBERALISM CONT.  Civil Liberties: Liberalism promotes civil liberties of the individual, including freedom of thought and expression, freedom of association and movement, personal freedom, which rules out search or arrest without a warrant, and strict compliance with legal and judicial procedure.  Justice: Liberalism is rooted in justice, which is about giving each person what he or she is due.(Separation of Powers)

BASIC TENETS OF LIBERALISM CONT.  Public Policy: Liberalism holds that public policy should be the product of free bargaining between groups of individuals formed to pursue their common interests.  Freedom of contract: No individual can accept any obligation without his consent, and without consideration of mutual benefits.  Based on the social contract principle, Locke argued that there was a natural right to the liberty of conscience, which he argued must therefore remain protected from any government authority.

BASIC TENETS OF LIBERALISM CONT  Consent: It holds that government must be based on the consent of the governed.(Locke developed the then radical notion that government acquires consent from the governed which has to be constantly present for a government to remain legitimate)  Constitutionalism: It believes in limited government which is achievable through separations of power, checks and balances as embedded in the constitution.

FORMS OF LIBERAL THOUGHT  Classical Liberalism: The central theme of classical liberalism is a strong belief in an extreme form of individualism.  It sees civil society as a ‘realm of freedom’, while the state as a ‘realm of coercion’. The state is a necessary evil. It imposes a collective will upon the society and limits the freedom of the individual.  Classical liberalism is a belief in a minimal state whose role is the protection of individuals from one another.

FORMS OF LIBERAL THOUGHT CONT.  Neo-Liberalism: Neo-liberalism, neo-classical liberalism or libertarianism means the same thing as contemporary version of classical liberalism which seeks to restore laissez fare individualism noted for its commitment to the inalienable right of man to possess private property and economic freedom, which must be left with un interferred.  It forbids state control of the economy in the interest of the state or in the interest of the rulers.  It emphasizes economic freedom.

FORMS OF LIBERAL THOUGHT CONT  It denounces the welfare of the state, opposes state intervention and control of economic activities.  Neo-liberalism is associated with the following theorists: F.A Hayek ( ), an Australian thinker; Robert Nozick (1938-), an American Philosopher; and Milton Friedman (1912-), an American economist.  In summary, neo-liberalism upholds full autonomy and freedom of the individual. It is therefore hostile to all social and legal restriction on individuals’ freedom of actions.

EVALUATION OF LIBERALISM IN THE 21 ST CENTURY  First, liberalism clings to capitalism more than any other ideology.  Second, it continuously retains its bourgeois character.  Third, contemporary liberalism upholds representative democracy on the assumption that the state represents the interests of all groups within society and that it ensures reconciliation of conflicting interests.

 Some scholars suggest that liberalism gave rise to feminism, although others maintain that liberal democracy is inadequate for the realisation of feminist objectives.  Less friendly to the goals of liberalism has been conservatism. Conservatives have also attacked what they perceive to be the reckless liberal pursuit of progress and material gains, arguing that such preoccupations undermine traditional social values rooted in community and continuity.  Liberal socialism does not have the goal of abolishing capitalism with a socialist economy; instead, it supports a mixed economy that includes both public and private property in capital goods.  Among some prominent social Liberals include: John Stuart Mill, Eduard Bernstein, John Dewey, Carlo Rosselli, Norberto Bobbio and Chantal Mouffe. SOME CRITICISMS OF THE LIBERAL THOUGHT

FORMS OF LIBERAL THOUGHT CONT  Modern Liberalism: It believes in a sympathetic attitude towards state invention.  Assignment  Go study and write extensively on Modern Liberalism with Advantages and Disadvantages.  8 Pages