Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: John Stuart Mill, Social Liberalism, Distributive Justice
23 Jan 2020
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Rejects prevailing negative views of the poor. Are dignified, industrious, equally capable, and entitled to their fair share of goods. Believed that if you worked hard and avoided other pitfalls, you had absolute property rights for your land. Disagreed with redistribution if they did not earn the property themselves, they do not deserve it. It will not help them overall while giving welfare to people may help them momentarily, it will corrupt their moral values and social values (will not help them better themselves) Why no state aid to the poor: unfit to survive, society is too complex to be controlled in the way governments want, shouldn"t override property rights. State can advance individual liberty by promoting equal opportunities for all. Positive freedom: actual ability to do something worth doing (green"s view) Main obstacles to freedom: poverty, ignorance, prejudice, sickness. Government can promote freedom through poor relief, public schools and hospitals, and regulation of working conditions.
