LIBERALISM

Answer the Questions and read the text

Read p. 103-105 in Open Up Society about Classical Liberalism.

WHAT IS THE HISTORIC STARTING POINT FOR CLASSICAL LIBERALISM?

Classical liberalism appoints the beginning of liberalist ideology, which first appeared in
the 17th and 18th centuries. The core of classical liberalism is all humans were born
equal and free. Liberalism in its purest form. The ideology of John Locke and other 17th
and 18th-century supporters of limiting government power in order to protect individual
rights and liberties. Freedom, a democratic republic, and the importance of the
individual are all emphasized.

WHAT RIGHTS DOES EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAVE ACCORDING TO JOHN LOCKE?

According to John Locke, the father of liberalism all human individuals have the right to
life, poverty, and freedom. Locke was amongst these fundamental natural rights. The
preservation of mankind, according to Locke, is the most fundamental human law of
nature.

WHAT DOES FREEDOM MEAN IN LIBERALISM?

Freedom in the meaning of classical liberalism is the word “freedom” according to

liberals, the people are free to do whatever they want to a point that they do not violate
the freedom of other individuals. Every individual has the right and freedom of opinion,
belief, political opinion, and the preference to fulfill or not fulfill the requirements of his
or her chosen religion. Nobody can sway other people's minds or consciences. Individual
freedom is limited by the rights and freedoms of others, as well as the government's
common interests.

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WHAT IS THE VIEW OF HUMAN LIFE IN LIBERALISM?

Humans are self-sufficient, strong, and wise. They have evolved rights that grant them
the right to live in poverty while also allowing them to live as freely as possible. Humans
are sensitive creatures who understand their own needs and interests best. Everyone is
out for himself.

WHAT IS THE PERCEPTION OF SOCIETY IN LIBERALISM?

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy that is founded on liberty, consent of the
governed, and equal treatment under the law. Liberals also abolished mercantilist
policies, royal monopolies, as well as other trade barriers, in favor of free trade and
marketization. Liberals were a group of people who desired a country that allowed to
exist all religions. They were opposed to dynastic rulers' unchecked power. They wished
to protect individuals' rights against the government.

WHAT IS LIBERALISM’S VIEW OF THE ROLE OF THE STATE?

Minimal state or night watchman The state should be comprised of police, national
guard, and courts, and its mission should be to ensure that citizens' freedoms are not
violated. The state should really leave as much to the citizens and the free market as
possible.

WHAT IS A NIGHT WATCHMAN STATE OR A MINIMAL STATE?

The original name of these came from an idea of making sure that the citizen’s rights to
life as John Locke founded, the rights to life, freedom, and poverty were respected. A
night-watchman state, or minarchy, whose supporters are known as minarchists, is a
framework of a limited and minimal state whose functions are based on libertarian
theory. This system of government is most commonly linked with libertarian and
Objectivist political philosophy in the United States.

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WHAT IS THE INVISIBLE HAND?

The invisible hand is an analogy for the unnoticed forces that drive the free market
economy. Individual self-interest and the liberty of production and consumption serve
the best interests of society as a whole.

WHAT IS CAPITALISM?

Capitalism is typically believed of as an economic system wherein private actors owned

control property in accordance with their interests, and market forces freely set prices in
the marketplace in a way that serves society's best interests. The desire to make a profit
is a fundamental feature of capitalism.

WHAT IS ECONOMIC LIBERALISM?

Liberalism in economics. A belief in free trade in the region based on Adam Smith's
argument that the invisible hand of free-market competition would benefit all humans,
rich and poor; the market economy is an independent sphere operating under its own
economic laws; mutual beneficial game; the market maximizes its own benefits.

WHAT IS POLITICAL LIBERALISM?

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy founded on individual liberty, consent of

control, and equality before the law.

Read the text and answer the questions pt2:

1. WHAT IS THE SOCIAL CONTRACT?

The social contract is a term used frequently in political discourse to refer to an

unspoken agreement between the state and citizens. Both parties to the contract
should function as if the contract were quantifiable and real. The social contract,
according to Thomas Paine, is "the only mode in which governments have a right
to arise, and the only principle on which they have a right to exist."

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 2. WHY IS IT A RATIONAL INTEREST OF INDIVIDUALS TO FORM A SOCIETY?

Individuals, according to John Locke, assent to be governed. This consent may be

tacit, in the sense that it is not officially expressed, but it exists and is
communicated to the government. Locke also presumed that rational interests
shape individuals. For example, they move to another state of nature (where there
is no social contract) to protect their individual rights.

3. EXPLAIN THE MECHANICAL PERCEPTION OF SOCIETY IN CLASSICAL LIBERALISM (SEE

THE SCHEMES P.104 IN THE OPEN UP SOCIETY) AND HOW THE STATE POWERS ARE
JUSTIFIED.

Humans are self-sufficient, strong, and wise. They have inalienable rights that
grant them the right to live in poverty and with the greatest possible freedom. The
state was established solely for practical reasons (mechanical perception of
society). The mechanistic theory also holds that our behavior is influenced by the
interactions of people. As a result, the mechanistic theory is diametrically opposed
to the conservative view that society is a species in which the state changes over
time. Individuals' equal worth is also a tenet of physical societies.