CLASSICAL LIBERALISM

Embraces the Principles of Individualism

Private Property
Rule of Law
Individual Rights and Freedoms
Competition
Economic Freedom
Self-Interest
Modern Schools of Liberalism
Modern Liberalism favours slightly more government intervention
Evolution of Classical Liberal Thought
You will be travelling around to different stations to take notes with a group. I will
be timing you for 10 minutes to get the information from the printed powerpoints. If
you havent had enough time to get it done, you can begin the rotation again.

Here are the groups:

1. Christine, Katilyn, Aikina, Khristian

2. Aaron, Jalla, Mason, Shayne, Colton
3. Brittney, Gebriel, Ciaida, Logan, Rhys
4. Hannah, Amy, Ethan, Hunter
Recap
Events that led up to and were influenced by classical liberalism:

(NOT IN ORDER)

The American Revolution

The French Revolution

The Industrial Revolution

The Enlightenment

The Reformation
Classical Liberalism and the Thinkers
Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Charles de Secondat - baron de Montesquieu,
Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill
Thomas Hobbes
English philosopher

Concerned with the problem of social and political order: wanted to understand if
humans could live together in peace and avoid conflicts and war

Life is nasty, brutish and short

Wrote the Leviathan

Saw humans as inherently selfish

Believed that safety and order could only be achieved through a sovereign power -
that security came at the expense of individuality
Thomas Hobbes - Cont
HOWEVER - The Leviathan could only justify power in the hands of a ruler only if
their subjects were kept safe. This ends up placing worth back on the individual
even though individual sovereignty is not there.
John Locke
Believed in Social Contract Theory - people give up their natural rights to the
government in exchange for social order and security for themselves and their
property.

Believed that the government should be directly accountable to the people

Placed great emphasis on private property and the right of individuals to protect
their property

... limit the power and moderate the dominion, of every part and member of the
society.
Charles de Secondat - baron de Montesquieu
1689-1755
Enlightenment thinker in France

Believed in the worth of the individual, the equality of individuals and the
accountability of the government

Believed the government should be divided into three branches - Legislative,

Judicial and Executive - keep the government both separate from one another but
also depend on one another

Believed all people needed to participate in government

Charles de Secondat - cont
The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare
as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.

At the time, Montesquieu was calling for the elimination of the three estate
structure of French society - the clergy, the aristocracy and the commoners
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
Interested in the promotion of individual decision making and the protection of
individual freedoms

Wrote On Liberty (1859)

Beleived that the only limitations that should be placed on idnividuals were those
that would protect the liberty of others - like our Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Strongly advocated for free speech - believed it was necessary for intellectual and
social progress

Major advocate for womens rights - was unprecedented at the time

Adam Smith 1723 - 1790
Scottish political economist

Disagreed with mercantilism

He believed that if people worked first and foremost for themselves, everyone,
including the state would be better off.

1776 published The Wealth of Nations

In that, he describes system where individuals work for their own self-interest in a
free-market system.
Adam Smith 1723 - 1790
Smith believed that the role of the government in economics should be limited to
maintaining rule of law, ensuring contracts were followed and ocasionally
providing public works

Believed in the Invisible Hand

Smiths work provided much of the groundwork for the capitalist system
Laissez-Faire
Leave people alone to do as they wish

Individual actions and achievements were deemed to be more production in

economic decision making than government actions

Concept developed by the Physiocracts - a group of Enlightenment philosophers

in France who critiqued the mercanitilist system

Adam Smith followed Laissez-Faire very seriously.

Your Task
On page 113 - Explore the Issues

Answer questions 1-5

I will have the chart already made for you

Classical Liberalism According to Facebook
Your task

You will be creating a facebook profile for one of the Classical Liberal Thinkers

John Locke, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Charles de Secondat

Using fakebook.com - you will create a profile, complete with 12 Status Updates
that would channel the thoughts and principles of your chosen philosopher.

Your status updates should be in chronological order, to the best of your abilities.

Use the timelines we have discussed in class as well as your notes.