POLS10003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Theocracy, Positive Form, Spontaneous Order
9 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
LIBERALISM
What is the relationship between individual and
state. We look at a liberal conception of
sovereignty and state
Hobbes
Not liberal but provided important ideas:
negative conception of liberty. Liberty and
sovereignty in opposition.
Constitutionalism
Explains that sovereignty does not have to be
absolute but can be restrained and limited.
- Diversifies power across diff branches
- Written document
CLASSICAL LIBERALISM
- Constitutionalism
- Concern with governments abusing
power- minimal government
- Negative conception of liberty
- Sanctity of private property
- Individual valued, and responsible for
their own livelihood
- Public/ private divide- protect the non-
state life, this is where government
does not intrude and we engage in
voluntary action
- Individualistic: normative and
methodological claim. Individuals have
highest value and are of equal value
because of our natural rights in state
of nature, and this has consequences
in society and how to structure
political life.
Against
- Absolutism and theocracy
Assumptions
- Individual source of all moral value,
and most important political agent eg.
Vote
- Sees society as a consensual
agreement
- State is realm of coercion (but
constitutionalism is a good solution)
What is liberty
REPUBLICANISM
Body of thought that takes forward the
democratic tradition. Liberty requires
democracy. For public good, mixed government
which gives voice to all, uphold rule of law.
Protective republicanism
Political participation ensures liberty because
you are not dominated.
Developmental republicanism
Rousseau
American federalism
Madison
DEMOCRACY (not ideology, political
organisation)
A method of group decision making
characterised by equality among participants at
the essential stage of collective decision making.
- Popular sovereignty- gov responds to
people
- Citizenship
Forms:
Direct or representative democracy. Pluralist
and majoritarian democracy.
Justification:
Instrumental pro- protective (Montesquieu,
Madison) or developmental (Mill, Rousseau)
Instrumental anti- undermine expert
government or destabilising political effects
Non- instrumental pro- normative good
Thinkers for
Aristotle- hesitant. Depends whether in own
interest or common interest. Extremes of each
type
Dilemmas
Representation
Representation or participation (Rousseau, in
small stable states)
How to represent? Mandate (delegates) or
independence (representatives, trustees) or
likeness (this linked to idea of safe seats,
member of community)
Public interest/ common good
Are these real interests or felt? Objective?
Public vs private. Collective vs aggregate
Ignorance
Many unable to take part in political discussion.
Not skilled enough or not moral enough- are
these deficient inherently or outcome of
society?
Majoritarian dilemmas
Largest group represented. Results in tyranny of
majority and persistent minorities.
SOCIALISM
How developed
- Industrial conditions- liberal ideas
undermined (individual actor as
entrepreneur)
- Large, self-interested companies.
- Massive increase in production and
wealth
- Responses were: trying to make liberal
ideas more compatible (welfare
consensus), and socialist ideas
Socialism
- How society changes: historical
materialism
- Base and superstructure and relation
- Process
- Capitalistic violence: class division,
surplus value, ideology
Marxist trajectories
19th century workers getting vote, unanticipated
Eduard Bernstein
Vladimir Lenin
Rosa Luxemburg
Social democracy
Rise of organised labour, franchise
Regulate labour laws, have electoral politics,
democratic reform. No violent revolution.
20th century, more about limiting capitalism, not
implementing socialism.
Eduard Bernstein
Key tensions
Revolution or evolution
State or non-state
Organised or spontaneous politics
Masses or vanguard leading
Science or art
Welfare state
It is a step towards socialism, or it dampens
revolutionary action.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Constant
Berlin
Mill and harm principle
Property
Locke
Smith
NEW/ MODERN/ SOCIAL LIBERALISM
Hegel’s idea of the ethial state, ratioal. New
liberalism fundamental break in liberal theory, a
new branch.
- More positive form of state in order to
achieve liberty, individuality
- Focus on common good
- More activist state
- Communal harmony and egalitarian
ends
- More developmental idea rather than
protective. Individuals become
thoughtful, better citizens
- Duty both from state and individual
Marshall
Green
Hobhouse
- Stop thinking about freedom as
restraint
- Pursue common good because rational
Welfare state
New liberalism- state needs to expand role and
welfare must be aspect.
Critique: this is an advancement towards
authoritarianism eg. Hayek
Stability dilemmas
Conflict prone because groups are pitted against
each other. Perhaps then ineffective
government. (Liberal democracy tries to prevent
this, discussion only occurs in certain forums)
Citizenship dilemmas
People are irrational, ignorance, demagoguery,
populism
Cultural dilemmas
Exclusion. Certain groups structurally excluded
because never big enough.
Gender, race and postcolonialism
Liberal democracy/ representative democracy
(operating under liberalism)
Has come to dominate thinking.
- Devices to constrain government
power
- Voting, competitive electiong
- Government entrusted to professional
politicians, but they are responsive to
popular pressure
- Freedom and reason
- Constitutional state, private property,
competitive market economy
- Tends to have separation of church
and state
- Protective and developmental
Montesquieu
Gives us institutional explanation. Executive,
legislature and judiciary to balance power. But
favoured aristocratic class. Representative
government.
Mature liberal democracy
Political equality, ensuring gov is responsible to
all of society
Bentham- from utilitarian perspective
Because of principle of utility people must be
protected from gov and gov must be
accountable.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
What is the relationship between individual and state. We look at a liberal conception of sovereignty and state. Not liberal but provided important ideas: negative conception of liberty. Explains that sovereignty does not have to be absolute but can be restrained and limited. Body of thought that takes forward the democratic tradition. For public good, mixed government which gives voice to all, uphold rule of law. Political participation ensures liberty because you are not dominated. Individual valued, and responsible for their own livelihood. Public/ private divide- protect the non- state life, this is where government does not intrude and we engage in voluntary action. Individuals have highest value and are of equal value because of our natural rights in state of nature, and this has consequences in society and how to structure political life. Individual source of all moral value, and most important political agent eg. vote. State is realm of coercion (but constitutionalism is a good solution)
