Liberalism

• Intro: liberalism is a political doctrine that takes protecting and enhancing individual freedom to be the central theme of politics. 

• Classical->modern->neo->social liberal (chronology samajhiye)

• Classical liberalism-

locke	Bentham	Mill

• Liberalism is an ideology of the enlightenment era
• All are equal since all have reason - Locke
•  Man is atomistic. 
• Concept of equality in political sphere, but not in socio-economic sphere.
• Man is supreme.
• Humanism as the central theme.
• Society is not natural but result of contract and must further man's interests.
• Everybody's interests are different and sum of everyone's interest is aggregate interest. Their concpetion of society is aggregative view of society. It is also called as market model. Do not believe in collective view of society. 
• State is necessary(as man has passions) evil(restricts freedom).
• That state is best which governs the least- Thomas Jefferson.
• Talk about proportionate equality as opposed to socialists talking about abslotute equality( substantive view of equality) and call liberal view of equality as formal and procedural.
• Classical liberals- negative liberty
• Modern liberals- positive liberty.
• Due to bentham , liberalism became a vulgar defence of utilitarianism. Mill tried to reform it by saying liberty and not utility is the core value of liberalism
• Social policy- drunkard in the gutter is where he is supposed to be- Sumner. Don't believe in welfarism as that would require taxation and don't believe in progressive taxation but progressive individualism.
• 
  Book - in the service of republic by Vijay kelkar he writes - “Government intervention interferes with personal freedom”, as it is “imperfect” and has “unintended consequences”.

• modern lib/welfare state-
• bring idealism in liberalism to save it from crude economic determinism. 
• Mill says not utlity but liberrty is the core theme of liberalism
• man is social by nature hence obligation towards society
• say man is diff from pig. Not completely utlitarian but also rational. Can think about himself and others(developmental perspective of man)
• Reject atomistic concept of man as propounded by classical liberals.
• do not view society as a market mechanism but an organic entity
• state: unlike idealists, dont say state is prior to man and unlike liberals dont believe state is a necesary evil. They believe state is an instrument created by man for his happiness/pleasure. Like idealists they believe state is a source of virtue(TH Green) , ensure welfare of citizens.
• they know ineqality is bound to emerge and hence advocate affirmative action to restore the dignity of the poor. 
• modern lib based on positive relation between man,society and state.
• It is a golden mean of socialism and classical liberalism

• 
  Herald j laski

Immanuel Kant gave concept of human dignity. 

T H green

build upon kant's idea and visualized welfare state.

Said libertey is capacity to do something which is worth doing in accordance to the law of our being.

State hinders the hindrances that come in the path of liberty.

Says “human consciousness postulates liberty. Liberty demands rights, rights demand state.”

• Critisim

Mahathir Mohammed. Gave concept of Asian values where man is part of society.

• Asian values:
• Against universal declaration of human rights
• Say these are an attempt to impose western culture on Asians
• Give importance to community over an individual
• Say rights are not absolute and they may be sacrificed for the security of the state
• Criticised by communitariran scholars who say man is a situated self and not atomistic.
• The left criticeses Liberal society does not do enough to root out deep-seated racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, so politics must go beyond liberalism.

• 
  Liberalism and its discontents, an article by francis fukuyama-Liberalism doesn’t tell a person how to live. Thisproduces a vacuum at the core of liberal societies, one that often gets filled by consumerism or pop culture or other random activities that do not necessarily lead to human flourishing.

• Libertarianism/Neoliberalism/Washington consensus-Call taxation as bonded labor and aggression on personality of man.
• rolling back of state as there was pressure on state due to excessive welfarism. 
  revival of nightwatchman state.
• based on the premise that markets lead to a desirable outcome (Pareto optimal outcome) so there is no need for government intervention
• welfare state converted state into a nanny state that took care from cradle to grave.
• in neoliberalism , the market is mightier than the government. The government can control everything but not the market.

Advocates:

1:

Margaret Thatcher in Britain. Coined TINA- There is no alternative

2:

Ronald reagen in usa

3:

Milton Friedman- book- freedom and capitalism- says capitalism is precondition for freedom.

4:

Robert nozick-book-state,utopia and anarchy - minimal state is inspiring and right.

5:

F A Hayek- father of neoliberalism

critic of planning calls it a fruitless exercise and road to serfdom, state is  master we are serfs, market is a huge central nervous system.

Calls social justice through welfarism as mirage.

In the name of social justice, state increases its powers. Says state is incapable of doing justice.

6:

Murray rothbard- calls politicians and bureaucrats as band of thugs

• Criticism -

• 
• Karl polanyi: neolib subordinates the substance of society to the laws of the market.
• Arun Maira in his book A billion fireflies writes- liberal economics creates illiberal societies” and says inequality in society is leading to rise in authoritarianism and nationalism in democratic societies 
• World moving from washington to cornwall consensus.
  

• Social liberals/liberal egalitarians- humane governance
• Emphasize on human dignity, capacity building and positive liberty.
• Post WW2 concept
• Emphasie role of civil society to ensure the accountability of both pvt and govt ssector
• endorse market economy,expansion of civil and political rights while state intervention in field of health , education as necessary. Emphasize on inclusive growth
• good of the Community is viewed as harmonious with the freedom of individual.

1: 

Joseph stiglitz- book- globalization amd it's discontents

says we need to address democratic deficit in global institutions.

Gave concept of "asymmetric information".-When some individuals have access to privileged knowledge that others don't, free markets yield bad outcomes for wider society.

Says we are reaching a level of inequality that is "intolerable".

2: 

Amartya sen- calls welfarism as constructive role of state in growth and development . Says state must increase the capacity of masses.

3:

Dworkin

4: 

John rawls

• Isiah berlin: if Mill is regarded as champion of liberty then Berlin is regarded as soldier of liberty.
• 
  book- Two conceptions of liberty
• Through value pluralism , berlin explains that values are inherently pluralistic. Within liberalism there are some who believe in -ve liberty like Hayek,Nozick,Mill who describe it as an absence of interference. Says the most defining feature of liberalism is not liberty but toleration. Exercise of liberty is based on a tolerant society
• Since globalisation has increased migration there is an increasing need of toleration
• on the other hand social liberals/positive liberals describe liberty as capacity to do what one wants to do like TH Green, Rousseau,etc. it liberates humans by developing them.
• Berlin prefers -ve liberty as acc to him +ve liberty gives rise to totalitarian state.
• ” A bird in a cage is unable to fly, there is lack of -ve liberty, a bird outside cage cannot fly is absence of capacity and not liberty.

Conclusion: Liberalism as an ideology has evolved with changing needs of time. It has helped realise importance of individual freedom , limited the authority of state and promoted ideals of humanism and rationalism.