1. Liberalism is based on the theory of possessive individualism which sees individuals as proprietors of themselves who form relationships primarily through voluntary market exchanges. 2. A key liberal view is that individuals should be free to pursue their own conception of the good as long as it does not harm others. This view is balanced with concerns about market failures and inequality. 3. Liberal philosophers have debated the appropriate role and scope of government, with some arguing for minimal intervention and others supporting a more active role to address issues like public goods, externalities, and unequal distributions of wealth.

1. Liberalism
Dr. Christopher S. Rice

2. The American Political
Spectrum is small…

4. The startling Western
transformation of
1500-1700

5. Organic vs. Mechanistic

6. Organic Worldview

7. First Nature

8. Second Nature

9. The world is a living
world…

10. Unrestrained growth is
an aberration, undesired

11. Mechanistic
Worldview

12. The $$$ World

13. The world is a
“dead” world…

14. Lack of continuous
growth = death

15. The Organic Worldview

16. Ruach

18. Gaia

19. The rise of capitalism

20. Logical Positivism
Leads to the
Mechanistic Worldview

24. Cogito Ergo Sum

26. Mechanistic
Philosophy

28. Logical Positivism

29. Is science objective?
Economics?

31. The Liberal concept of agency is
based on the theory of
possessive individualism

32. Possessive Individualism
1. What makes one human is freedom from dependence on the wills of
others.
2. Freedom from dependence on others means freedom from any
relations with others except those relations which the individual
enters voluntarily with a view to his own interest.
3. The individual is essentially the proprietor of his or her own person
and capacities, for which he or she owes nothing to society.
4. Although an individual cannot alienate the whole of his property in
his own person, he may alienate his capacity to labor.
5. Human society consists of a series of market relations – Since the
individual is human only in so far as free, and free only in so far as
proprietor of him- or herself, human society can only be a series of
relations between sole proprietors, i.e., a series of market relations.
6. Since freedom from the wills of others is what makes one human,
each individual’s freedom can rightfully be limited only by such
obligations and rules as are necessary to secure the same freedom
for others.
7. Political society is a human contrivance for the protection of the
individual’s property in his person and goods, and (therefore) for the
maintenance of orderly relations of exchange between individuals
regarded as proprietors of themselves.
(C. B. Macpherson, The Political Theory of Possessive Individualism)

33. Liberal Philosophy

34. Equality
Liberty
Individuality
Rationality

35. Equality

36. Equality of Opportunity
vs.
Equality of Outcome

37. Liberty

38. Individuality

39. Rationality

40. Liberal Society

41. Feudalism Capitalism

42. Why a free-market
economy is important…

43. The Pursuit of The Good

44. Liberal Politics

45. strict distinction between the
state and civil society

46. ambivalence about the
benefits of democracy

47. Government is GREAT!
Government is BAD!

48. Utilitarianism

50. The Principle of
Utility Maximization

51. Government’s job is to
ameliorate the effects
of utility maximization which
bring harm to others

52. 2
general conclusions
about government

53. Government can best promote
the greatest happiness for the
greatest number by leaving
people alone.

54. Government is not likely to
promote the greatest happiness
for the greatest number if it is
only open to a small number.

56. Defend and Extend
individual liberty

58. Harm Principle
Every sane adult should be
free to do whatever he or she
wants as long as his or her
actions do not harm, or
threaten to harm, others.

60. Natural Rights

61. Utility
Society, as a whole, will
benefit if people are
allowed to think and act
freely.

62. Representative democracy
only for the educated,
wealthy?

63. Neoclassical liberalism
VS.
Welfare Liberalism

64. The Liberal View of Freedom
(Ball and Dagger, “Liberalism”)
OBSTACLE:
Laws, customs,
or conditions that
block individual
choice (or pursuit
of “the good”)
AGENT: GOAL:
The To live as one
“Atomistic” chooses,
Individual pursue one’s
own idea of
“the good.”

65. Negative VS. Positive
Freedom

66. Neoclassical liberalism

67. Social Darwinism

71. Welfare Liberalism

72. Government as a
POSITIVE
force

74. Socialism
VS.
Welfare Liberalism

76. Option #1:
Money can be divided up such that
20% of us will get 82.7% of the
income and property, 20% will get
11.7% of income and property, 20%
will get 2.3% of income, 20% will get
1.9%, and the last 20% will get
1.4%.

77. Option #2:
Divide it up such that everyone
gets an equal share of the wealth
and property, regardless of job or
status. (Each group will get 20%
of income, divided equally).

79. The Veil of Ignorance

80. The Original Position

81. The Original Position
Non-presocial liberal ideas that, if
consensually held, would lead
everyone to accept the equal liberty
and difference principles as the
basis for mutually beneficial social
cooperation.

82. 4 Ideas of
The Original Position

83. Equal Respect

84. Non-risky Rationality

85. Mutual
Disinterestedness

86. The Veil of Ignorance

87. 2
Principles of Justice

88. Equal Liberty Principle
The state must provide the most
extensive system of equal
liberties that is feasible and
desirable. All individuals must
enjoy the greatest degree of
liberty consistent with the
enjoyment of like liberty by
everyone else.

89. Difference Principle
Primary social goods are to be
distributed equally unless an
unequal distribution would
improve the welfare of the least
well-off in society.

90. PROBLEMS

91. Keynesian Economics

93. The problem of
market failures and
inefficiencies

94. The many benefits of capitalism
are offset by certain problems:
• Complete market freedom results in
various types of market failures.
• Monopolies which undermine
competition & lead to concentrated
power.
• Business cycles which create
economic inefficiency and insecurity.

95. The many benefits of capitalism
are offset by certain problems:
• Capitalism creates externalities
which harm the broader public.
• Pure Market Systems unable to
provide many public goods.
• Wealth isn’t distributed to everyone.

96. 2
Methods of Stimulating the
Economy

97. Increase
government
expenditures

98. Reduce taxes

99. “Priming the Pump”
+
The “Multiplier Effect”

100. In case of an
overheated
economy…

101. Three ways to deal with deficits:
• Grow your way out of it – as
incomes rise, taxes rise as people
move up through the tax brackets.
• Increase income taxes on the
wealthy, create luxury taxes, etc.
• Reduce government spending in
specific areas where it is no longer
needed.