Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Brian Barry, Economic Liberalism, Pessimism
18 Dec 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Sunday, December 10, 2017
POLI SCI Exam Review 1
IDEOLOGY: A value-neutral definition
-A set of ideas that provides the basis for organized political action, whether aimed at
preserving, modifying, or overthrowing the existing system of power
-Meant to be a coherent set
-Any ideology has 3 parts:
(1) A worldview of the existing order
(2) A vision of the future good society
(3) An explanation of how political change can and should happen
-Ideologies describe what is, explain why it is, propose what should be and provide a
program of action
-Left and Right
-Ideologies are often placed on a scale of going from left to right, referring to three
types of disagreement
LIBERALISM
Brian Barry on Liberal Ideas
-No religious dogma can reasonably be held with certainty
-Every doctrine should be open to critical scrutiny
-Fundamental equality of all human beings: inequality is an artifact
Liberalism
-Medieval Europe & the Reformation
Left
Right
Values
Liberty, equality, community
Order, authority, hierarchy
Human Nature
Optimism, social progress
Pessimism, skeptism about
change
State Intervention
Economic regulation
Deregulating markets
!1
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Sunday, December 10, 2017
-Liberalism in England, America & France
-Themes: individualism, freedom, reason, justice, toleration
-Rule of law, social contract, constitutionalism
Classical & Modern
-Sources of classical liberalism: natural rights, utilitarianism, economic liberalism,
social Darwinism
-Adam Smith: capitalism, the role of the state,distributive justice
-Herbert Spencer’s Social Darwinist liberalism
•Survival of the fittest
•Government should not try to control society
-Modern liberalism: Mill, Green on positive freedom, Rawls, Keynes
CONSERVATISM
-Burkean origins
-Value of tradition
-Human imperfection
-Skepticism about political knowledge
-Organic conception of society & the state
-Maistre: pessimistic, anti-Enlightenment, authoritarian
-Rhetoric of reaction: perversity, futility, jeopardy
-New right combines neoliberalism and neoconservatism
SOCIALISM
Core Socialist Themes
-Community: social creatures engaging in collective effort for the common good
-Cooperation: against competition
-Social equality as a demand of justice
!2
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
A set of ideas that provides the basis for organized political action, whether aimed at preserving, modifying, or overthrowing the existing system of power. Any ideology has 3 parts: (1) a worldview of the existing order (2) a vision of the future good society (3) an explanation of how political change can and should happen. Ideologies describe what is, explain why it is, propose what should be and provide a program of action. Ideologies are often placed on a scale of going from left to right, referring to three types of disagreement. No religious dogma can reasonably be held with certainty. Every doctrine should be open to critical scrutiny. Fundamental equality of all human beings: inequality is an artifact. Sources of classical liberalism: natural rights, utilitarianism, economic liberalism, social darwinism. Adam smith: capitalism, the role of the state,distributive justice. Herbert spencer"s social darwinist liberalism: survival of the ttest, government should not try to control society.
