Context: Classical Liberalism is usually associated with early 19th century Britain again this is a wide ranging term which has some right wing and Conservative Variants e.g. Neo-Classicist ideas and some more progressive and left wing ideas particularly in the writing of Mill and Bentham. In the early 19th Century there was a reaction against the revolutionary variant of Liberalism, applied to the American and French Revolutions. In Britain this took the form of Repressive legislation such as the Anti-Trade Union Laws, the Suspension such as the Habeas Corpus and the “Peterloo” Massacre. This school of Thought was based upon the economic ideas of Adam Smith and the Political ideas of Radical Philosophers such as Bentham, James Mill and John Stuart Mill. The political variant of these ideas was the Liberal Party which generally took shape around these views (circa 1882) which were:
1. An optimistic view of Human Nature: Classical Liberals believe that Human Beings are essentially rational and the people know of their community or state, what was in their interest. Classical Liberals believe that people should make their own choices rather than their Government, both in the Economic and Political sphere; however the Human character needed to be civilised and developed through education and participation within the economy.
2. Freedom and Individual rights: John Stuart Mill (1806-73) argued that individuals should have complete freedom to do whatever they wanted as long as they did not harm others i.e. the so called “harm Principle.” He argued on Liberty, the only purpose for which rights can be powerfully exercised over any member of a civilised community against his will is to prevent harm to others. His own good either physical or moral is not a sufficient warrant.
3. Utilitarianism: Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) developed the idea of rationality in arguing that human beings were disposed to seek pleasure and to avoid pain i.e. the Pleasure principle. While they sort what is best for themselves they frequently made mistakes, the role of Governments were to assist the individuals in making choices thus achieving in Bentham’s case,” the greatest happiness for the Greatest number. “While Bentham embraced the laissez faire economic system as Utilitarianism. He argued that most laws and political structures need reform as they reflected aristocratic privilege. He was also influential in radically reforming social services for instance he played a central role in the mines and factories, the setting up of the Poor Law in 1834. Also Bentham was keen upon Political progress such as extension of the franchise and provided ideas for the chartist ideas calling in 1809 for annual elections for parliament.
4. Representative government: These ideas were associated with James Mill (1773-1836) and Bentham and also John Stuart Mill who argued for adult male and female suffrage but at the same time, John Stuart Mill was nervous of the dangers of Democracy and particularly those of allowing ignorant people to vote. JS Mill therefore wanted a literary qualification for voting. However he did advocate educating the working classes and to give them opportunities to expand their awareness through literature and public lectures.
Minimal Government: Bentham’s ideas were opposed by many Liberals who believed that his principles were a violation of the key ideas of laissez faire economics; Liberals such as Herbert Spencer believed that welfare provision was wrong as it sheltered the poor from their behaviour. The stern lesson that Neo-Classicists such as Spencer wanted to promote was that the poorer classes would face the penalty of poverty unless they adopted the values and lifestyles of their economic superiors. These writers were influenced by the scientific theories of Charles Darwin and based upon the concept of species and Evolution and Human Progress through survival of the fittest, Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) in his best known work “self Help” argued that within the capability of individuals including the working classes to improve themselves through diligent activities and willingness to set up economic ventures, Nobody should rely on others or the state, we succeed or fall to our own efforts, this brand of self help has strong links to 1980’s Thatcherism with its anti-dependency culture and with New Labour with its encouragement of voluntarism and the importance of entrepreneurial values, particularly in poorer values.
Every few days, I will post up an idiots guide to a specific topic. Next week I'll discuss what welfare liberalism is.
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