User:FloNight/classical liberalism Introduction (lead paragraph)

Classical liberalism

Introduction (lead paragraph)

Definitions of the term "Classical liberalism"

1. "Classical liberalism" A political philosophy that places high value on individual freedom based on a belief in natural rights that exist independent of government. In its pure form, for example in contemporary libertarian thought, it holds that the best government is minimal in scope, providing security, but promoting laissez-faire policies toward morality, religion, the economy, and the rest of social life. from texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/glossary
2. "Classical liberalism" places the primary political value on political arrangements that allow for the fullest exercise of individual liberty as long as the liberties of others are not unreasonably restricted. Classical liberal ideas often form the basis for opposition to the use of government to attain social objectives. They express instead reliance on private initiatives or the free market to determine the best outcomes. from texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu Foundations of Political Parties- Ideology
3. "Classical liberalism" The tradition of classical liberalism reflects the thoughts of men and women who value peace, individual liberty, and freedom of thought, speech, and action. from mason.gmu.edu guide- intro
4. "Classical liberalism" Basically, classical liberalism is the belief in liberty. Even today, one of the clearest statements of this philosophy is found in Jefferson 's Declaration of Independence. At that time, as is the case today, most people believed that rights came from government. People thought they only had such rights as government elected to give them. But following the British philosopher John Locke, Jefferson argued that it's the other way around. People have rights apart from government, as part of their nature. Further, people can form governments and dissolve them. The only legitimate purpose of government is to protect these rights. People who call themselves classical liberals today tend to have the basic view of rights and role of government that Jefferson and his contemporaries had. Moreover, they do not tend to make any important distinction between economic liberties and civil liberties. What Is Classical Liberalism? by John C. Goodman NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS
5. "Classical liberalism" A political and economic philosophy emerging along with the growth of capitalism. The central belief is that unregulated free markets are the best means to allocate productive resources and distribute goods and services and that government intervention should be minimal. Behind this is an assumption about individuals being rational, self-interested and methodical in the pursuit of their goals. By the end of the 19th century, the belief in free markets became moderated in some versions of liberalism to acknowledge the growing conviction that liberty or freedom for the individual was a hollow promise if the social conditions of society made liberty meaningless. It was believed that the state must become more involved in managing the economy in order to soften the negative effects of market economies and maximize the well-being of each individual. This new direction for liberalism is often referred to as ‘progressive liberalism’. This newer philosophy supported the growth of the welfare state, but has come under attack in the past two decades. Social science dictionary © Robert Drislane, Ph.D. and Gary Parkinson, Ph.D. The online version of this dictionary is a product of Athabasca University and ICAAP
6. "Classical liberalism" 'Classical liberals have a strong commitment to individual freedom. This commitment has, I believe, two sources. First there is commitment to freedom as an intrinsic value, as something important in itself. One idea here, an idea that finds support in the psychological literature, is that well-being is associated with a sense of being in control of one's life. Being coerced to do something, even if it is something you would do anyway if you had a choice, is bad for your well-being. The second source of classical liberalism's commitment to individual freedom comes from its recognition of freedom as an instrumental value, as a value that leads to well-being even if it does not of itself provide it. This is mostly an argument about institutions, and especially the claim that the market, a device which coordinates action by facilitating voluntary interaction, has enormous power to enhance well-being. ...' Social Justice: Fraud or Fair Go? edited by Marlene Goldsmith, chapter by Andrew Norton (Menzies Research Centre, 1998)
7. "Classical liberalism" 'The classical liberals, from Hume and Smith through to Hayek, are concerned with the construction of a social order in which individual liberty can be maximised; social order and liberty do indeed develop conterminously. Principles and processes emerge (almost accidentally) from individual action but the individual is never abstracted from social processes, whether as a rights-bearer or, even, as a utility-bearer.' On Classical Liberalism and Libertarianism by Norman Barry (Macmillan, 1986)
8. "Classical liberalism" "Reviving the Invisible Hand" is an uncompromising call for a global return to a classical liberal economic order, free of interference from governments and international organizations. "Reviving the Invisible Hand: The Case for Classical Liberalism in the Twenty-first Century" by Deepak Lal July 2006 ISBN: 0-691-12591-0 334 pp.
9. "Classical liberalism" At the very beginning of this work, the author sets out his understanding of classical liberalism which relies on a small set of powerful principles to guide ordinary social interaction. The relevant rules respect the autonomy of the individual. They account for the emergence of a strong system of private property by allowing land and movables to be reduced to private ownership by occupation, and animals by a rule of capture. They provide voluntary exchange as the one means for people to sell their labor or possessions to others who might value it more highly. Finally, to ensure the supremacy of the voluntary transfer of ownership of labor and property, the legal rules contain a strong prohibition against the use of force or fraud as means for altering the balance of entitlements and obligations in interpersonal relations (p.2). Vol. 13 No. 10 (October 2003) from The Law and Politics Book Review review by Ronald J. Terchek (Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland, College Park) of SKEPTICISM AND FREEDOM: A MODERN CASE FOR CLASSICAL LIBERALISM, by Richard A. Epstein. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. 319 pp. ISBN 0-226-213304-8.
10. "Classical liberalism" This book restates and defends the classical liberal case for minimal government, arguing that such government would best advance human well-being in all societies. The classical liberal ideal is defended against its main contemporary opponents, taken to be modern welfare liberals, communitarians, and conservatives. These variously oppose minimum government in the names of equality, community, and the need for states to retain the patriotic allegiance of their citizens which conservatives maintain minimal government is unable to do. The Unvanquished Ideal by David Conway November 1995 0333648420 160 Pages
11. "Classical liberalism" Bibliographic Essay by John N. Gray, "F. A. Hayek and the Rebirth of Classical Liberalism" (1982) Literature of Liberty, Winter 1982, vol. v, no. 4, pp. 19-101.
12. "Classical liberalism is associated with John Locke ([1690] 1967), Adam Smith ([1775] 1976), Alexis de Tocqueveille ([1835] 1964) and Friedrich von Hayek (1073-9). It focuses on the idea of limited government, the maintainance of the rule of law, the avoidance of arbitrary and discretionary power, the sanctity of private property and free made contracts, and the responsibility of individuals in their own fates. It is not necessarily a democratic doctrine, for there is nothing in the bare idea of majority rule to show that majorities will respect the rights of property or maintain the rule of law...It is hostile to the welfare state; welfare states violate the principle that each individual ought to look to their own welfare." (Ryan, Alan. Liberalism. A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy, editors Goodin, Robert E. and Pettit, Philip. Blackwell Publishing, 1995, p.293.)
13. "classical liberalism includes the following: an ethical emphasis on the individual as a rights-bearer prior to the existence of any state, community, or society, the support of the right of property carried to its economic conclusion, a free-market system, the desire for a limited constitutional government to protect individuals' rights from others and from its own expansion, and the universal (global and ahistorical) applicability of these above convictions." Sturgis, Amy H. The Rise, Decline, and Reemergence of Classical Liberalism, Lockesmith Institute, 1994.