This document provides an overview of liberalism, covering topics such as: - The liberal view of individualism and freedom as proprietorship over oneself. - Key elements of liberal philosophy including equality, liberty, individuality, and rationality. - John Rawls' theory of justice and the original position behind a veil of ignorance. - Debate between laissez-faire capitalism and welfare liberalism approaches. - John Maynard Keynes' economic philosophy and use of fiscal policy to stimulate economies during recessions.

1. Liberalism
Dr. Christopher S. Rice

2. The American Political
Spectrum is small…

4. (cc) 2005 Flickr user jurvetson
The Western Transformation
1500-1700

5. (cc) 2008 Flickr user Peter from Wellington
Organic vs. Mechanistic

6. (cc) 2008 Flickr user h.koppdelaney
Organic Worldview

7. First Nature
(cc) 2006 Flickr user Bruno Monginoux

8. (cc) 2007 Flickr user autan
Second Nature

9. The world is a living
world…

10. Ruach

12. Gaia

13. (cc) 2006 Flickr user Euthman
Unrestrained growth is
an aberration, undesired

14. (cc) 2008 Flickr user Ralph Bijker
Mechanistic
Worldview

15. The world is a
“dead” world…
(cc) 2006 Flickr user Caro Wallis

16. (cc) 2006 Flickr user Wolfgang Kopp
Lack of continuous
growth = death

17. (cc) 2005 Flickr user Tracy O

18. (cc) 2007 Flickr user Diodoro
The rise of capitalism

19. Logical Positivism
Leads to the
Mechanistic Worldview

23. Cogito Ergo Sum

25. Mechanistic
Philosophy

27. Logical Positivism

28. Is science objective?
Economics?

30. Human Nature

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

34. 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)

35. Liberal Philosophy

36. 4

37. Four Elements of Liberal Philosophy
Equality Liberty
Individuality Rationality

38. Four Elements of Liberal Philosophy
Equality Liberty
Individuality Rationality

39. Equality of Opportunity
vs.
Equality of Outcome

40. Four Elements of Liberal Philosophy
Equality Liberty
Individuality Rationality

41. Four Elements of Liberal Philosophy
Equality Liberty
Individuality Rationality

42. Four Elements of Liberal Philosophy
Equality Liberty
Individuality Rationality

43. Four Elements of Liberal Philosophy
Equality Liberty
Individuality Rationality

44. Liberal Society

45. Feudalism Capitalism

46. Why a free-market
economy is important…

47. The Pursuit of The Good

48. Liberal Politics

49. strict distinction between the
state and civil society

50. The Social Contract

53. ambivalence about the
benefits of democracy

54. Government is GREAT!
Government is BAD!

55. Utilitarianism

57. The Principle of
Utility Maximization

58. (cc) 2008 Flickr user gruntzooki
Government should
ameliorate the effects
of utility maximization

59. 2
general conclusions
about government

60. (cc) 2007 Flickr user afroboof
Government should
leave people alone.

61. Increase democratic
participation
(cc) 2008 Flickr user Edward DC

63. Defend and Extend
individual liberty

64. (cc) 2008 Flickr user jukebox 909

65. 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.

67. Natural Rights

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

69. Representative democracy
only for the educated,
wealthy?

70. Neoclassical liberalism
VS.
Welfare Liberalism

71. 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
chooses,
“Atomistic”
pursue one’s
Individual
own idea of
“the good.”

72. Negative VS. Positive
Freedom

73. Neoclassical liberalism

74. Social Darwinism

78. Welfare Liberalism

79. Government as a
POSITIVE
force

81. Socialism
VS.
Welfare Liberalism

83. (cc) 2008 Flickr user left-hand
The Veil of
Ignorance

84. (cc) 2008 Flickr user Tostie14
The Original Position

85. 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.

86. 4 Ideas of
The Original Position

87. Non-Risky
Equal Respect
Rationality
4 Ideas of
The Original Position
Mutual
The Veil of
Disinterested-
Ignorance
ness

88. Non-Risky
Equal Respect
Rationality
4 Ideas of
The Original Position
Mutual
The Veil of
Disinterested-
Ignorance
ness

89. Non-Risky
Equal Respect
Rationality
4 Ideas of
The Original Position
Mutual
The Veil of
Disinterested-
Ignorance
ness

90. Non-Risky
Equal Respect
Rationality
4 Ideas of
The Original Position
Mutual
The Veil of
Disinterested-
Ignorance
ness

91. Non-Risky
Equal Respect
Rationality
4 Ideas of
The Original Position
Mutual
The Veil of
Disinterested-
Ignorance
ness

92. Non-Risky
Equal Respect
Rationality
4 Ideas of
The Original Position
Mutual
The Veil of
Disinterested-
Ignorance
ness

93. 2
Principles of Justice

94. 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.

95. 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.

96. PROBLEMS

97. Liberal Economics

100. Laissez-faire Capitalism
and Freedom

102. Keynesian Economics

104. The problem of
market failures and
inefficiencies

105. 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.

106. 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.

107. 2
Methods of Stimulating the
Economy

108. Reduce taxes

109. Increase
government
expenditures

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

111. In case of an
overheated
economy…

112. 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.

113. Liberalism as
Meta-Ideology

114. “The triumph of the West, of the
Western idea, is evident first of all
in the total exhaustion of viable
systematic alternatives to
Western liberalism.”
Francis Fukuyama, The End of History

115. liberalism is the
dominant ideology
not
un-ideological

116. 2

117. domination of society by
increasingly large and
powerful corporations

118. increased functional
differentiation

119. ?