Author: Mufti Obaidullah Noorzahi
Crises of Liberalism in the Contemporary World (Part 12)
Modern and Classical Liberalism
However, as noted in the previous section, in the early nineteenth century a new concept of freedom entered the realm of “liberal” thought, this new form of freedom known as positive freedom was created in order to distinguish it from the earlier form of freedom called negative freedom. This freedom was first elaborated by the British philosopher Thomas Hill Greene. Greene rejected the idea that humans act solely out of self-interest and instead emphasized the complexity of circumstances that shape our moral character. [1] In his first steps into the future of modern liberalism, he argued that political and social institutions should foster individual identity and freedom. [2] in order to explain this freedom and to show that freedom means being free to do anything, not to avoid being offended by the actions of others, Green wrote:
Tom Hill Green, one of the most influential liberal thinkers: If it were reasonable to wish for a structure other than this for the proper functioning of the world, it would probably be desirable to wish for freedom to be understood in such a way that everyone has the power to do whatever he wants. [3]
Unlike earlier liberals who observed society as an environment filled with selfish individuals, Green saw society as an organized whole in which each individual has a duty to advance and develop the common good. His ideas spread rapidly and were developed by other thinkers such as L. T. Hobhouse and John Hobson.[4] Within a few years, social liberalism became the basic political and social program of the British Liberal Party and gained greater global dominance in the twentieth century. [5]
There has been talk of the emergence of neoliberalism in the 21st century, which is based on the idea of timeless freedom. Neoliberalism aims to extend all positive and negative freedoms to future generations through what is done today.[6] In addition to the practice and implementation of positive, negative, and timeless freedoms, liberals have sought to understand the proper relationship between freedom and democracy. They have made great efforts to extend the right to vote to a greater number of citizens.
On the other hand, liberals have increasingly come to realize that if people are left free to make democratic decisions in any way they wish, it may ultimately lead to the tyranny of the majority over the minority. [7] This concept is well discussed in John Stuart Mill’s on Liberty and Alexis de Tocqueville’s Analysis of Democracy in America (1853).
In order to answer this issue, liberals called for adequate protection and effective guarantees in democracy so that no majority could trample on the rights of any minority. [8]
In addition to liberty, liberals developed several other principles that were considered important for the foundation of their philosophical structure. Principles such as equality, pluralism, and tolerance. To clarify the first principle, which is always faced with confusion and ambiguity, Voltaire suggests that equality is first and foremost the most natural right of humans and, over time, the most illusory.[9] All forms of liberalism assume at their core that all people are equal. [10] For liberals, only one thing is important to maintain this impartial equality among people: all people should have the same freedom. [11] In other words, no one has the right to enjoy the benefits of a free society more than anyone else, and all people are seen equally before the law. [12] Beyond this basic definition, liberal theorists differ in their understanding and definition of equality. The American philosopher John Rawls emphasizes that not only is there a need to ensure equality before the law, but also an equal redistribution of material resources among individuals is absolutely necessary so that each individual can have everything he or she wants to succeed in life. [13] On the other hand, the libertarian thinker Robert Nozick disagrees with Rawls and instead defends the earlier version of equality explained by Locke. [14] Liberals have also promoted concepts such as pluralism and tolerance in order to contribute to the progress and development of freedom. Liberals try to show the multiple and diverse opinions that are constructive and formative of a stable social order by referring to pluralism. [15] Unlike many of their predecessors, liberals do not seek conformity and homogeneity among people’s opinions and the unification of their ways of thinking; In fact, all liberals have tried to do is establishment of a framework for governing that harmonizes and minimizes conflicting views, while allowing opposing views to flourish. [16]
In liberal philosophy, pluralism simply leads to tolerance, since individuals have different views, and liberals argue that each individual should be respectful and tolerant of others, even their opponents. [17] From a liberal perspective, tolerance was originally about religious tolerance, as Spinoza denounced religious folly, persecution, and ideological warfare. [18] Tolerance also plays a central role in the theories of Kant and John Stuart Mill, both of whom believed that society contains multiple concepts and definitions, that everyone has a different moral standard for living well, and therefore individuals should be allowed to freely make their own choices without the slightest fear of interference from the state or others. [19]
Continues…
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References:
1. Adams, p. 55..
2. Adams, p. 58..
3.Young, p. 36..
4.Young, p. 36..
5. Wolfe, p. 63..
6.Young, p. 39..
7.Young, pp. 39-40..
8.Young, p. 40..
9.Young, pp. 3-42..
10.Young, p. 43..
11.Young, p. 44..
12. Ryan, A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy. 146-147.
13. Charvet, “Libertarian Theories”, Liberalism: The Basics 143-145.
14.Charvet, “Libertarian Theories”, Liberalism: The Basics 146-147.
15.Charvet, “Utilitarian Theories”, Liberalism: The Basics 153-154.
16.Charvet, “Utilitarian Theories”, Liberalism: The Basics, 154-159.
17.Charvet, “Contemporary Theories”, Liberalism: The Basics, 175–179.
18.Charvet, “Contemporary Theories”, Liberalism: The Basics, 184-185.
19.Charvet, “Contemporary Theories”, Liberalism: The Basics, 191-194.
