Liberalism - A Theory of Justice and Democracy essays

Liberalism - A Theory of Justice and Democracy essays Liberalism, a theory of justice and democracy, is a philosophy that views the economy as a capitalist, self-regulating market, and liberalists believe that people in that market should have the right to own private property or their own business. They also believe that people are selfish, greedy, and materialistic, and that the role of the government should be limited. Liberalism supports equality of opportunity fully, but not so much equality of condition. As put forth by Miroff, (page 95) Liberalism is a philosophy that elevates and empowers the individual as opposed to religious, hereditary, governmental, or other forms of authority. Liberalism features a strong belief in equality and in a government role in reducing racial, class, and gender inequalities. Liberals promote government action to regulate some of the negative consequences of the corporate capitalist economy, and they defend the civil rights of cultural and political nonconformists as well as ethnic and racial minorit ies. Classical liberalism is a philosophy that emerged in Europe, liberalism empowered the individual and asserted the rights of the individual against the hereditary privilege, and the religious privilege of the clergy. Liberalism made the individual rather than the community the basis for society and government. Instead of viewing individuals as the product of political society such as the Greeks, liberalism makes society the product of individuals. It is necessary to spell out rights and duties in some detail, because liberalism viewed human beings as primarily self-interested. Liberal political principles included: 1) Individuals have basic rights of religion, thought and expression, and property, that are not to be violated by government. 2) Individuals are equal under the law; there is no distinction based on heredity or religion. 3) To safeguard rights, the government must be limited. 4) Governments are instrumental; the state exists to serve individ...