Uncovering
Century
LIBERALISM
th19
Key Concepts
 Examining
the history of
classical liberalism
 Analyzing the impact of the
evolution of classical
liberalism on society
Overview

New Ideas about human potential and individual
worth

Governments friendly to business and innovation

Investment capital and cheap labour

The free market and limited role for government

Laissez-faire capitalism
Key Terms

Class system

John Locke

Enlightenment

John Stuart Mill
Free market

Montesquieu

Adam Smith

Thomas Hobbes

Jean-Jacques Rousseau


Industrialization

Laissez-faire
capitalism

Limited government

Traditional
economy

Economic Freedom

Timeline that eventually combined to form
classical liberalism

the five principles of classical liberalism
p 105-106 p107 Note these are the same as
individualism
The basic principles of Liberalism
(which can be applied to the social, economic and political structures of society)

Personal freedom: refers to the
absence of coercion (force) and
includes free speech, religious
liberty, the right to private
property, and the right to
political opposition

Equality of Right: all must abide
by the same laws, which the
government enforces with
impartiality

Belief in the Rule of Law –no one
is above the law.

Limited government: means that
the state (government) is an
instrument serving a function in
society.

Consent of the governed:
Government is responsible to
people and may be changed by
them
Classical Liberalism






Also know as
traditional liberalism, laissez-faire liberalism
stressing individual freedom, free markets, and
limited government
equality under the law, constitutional limitation of
government, free markets , limited government
intervention
it is the fusion of economic liberalism with political
liberalism of the late 18th and 19th centuries (the
Industrial revolution)
classical liberalism is the idea that laissez-faire
economics will bring about a spontaneous order or
invisible hand that benefits the society
Liberalism today is different
than classical liberalism.

Advocates civil rights for all people

Equal treatment of all citizens irrespective of race,
gender and class.

In the USA many social liberals favor affirmative
action.

affirmative action (a policy designed to redress
past discrimination against women and minority
groups through measures to improve their
economic and educational opportunities)
What forces and beliefs
stimulated the development
of classical
Liberalism?
We will explore the history of liberalism. You will
examine the societies, events and individuals that
contributed to the development of liberalism a
major ideology.

This will help you to understand why the early
forms of liberalism had evolved and have been
modified through time.
What forces and beliefs stimulated the
development of classical Liberalism?
Creation of Liberal Movement notes

Born out of ideas of the philosophers
(Enlightenment)

Political Aspects French and American
Revolutions.

Economic aspects

Evolved out of the ideas of the industrial
revolution

The fusion of economic liberalism and political
liberalism in the 15th ,16th and 17th centuries (the
industrial revolution).
Thinkers whose ideas contributed to the ideology of
economic, social and political liberalism

Thomas Hobbes

John Locke

Baron de Montesquieu

John Stuart Mill

Adam Smith

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Aboriginal
Contributions
1755 Lisbon Earthquake

The earthquake and its fallout strongly influenced
the intellectuals of the European Age of
Enlightenment.

Voltaire used the earthquake in satire and in his
Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne ("Poem on the
Lisbon disaster").

Voltaire's satirically attacks the notion that all is for
the best in this, "the best of all possible worlds", a
world closely supervised by a benevolent deity.

Questioning blind faith in god and the fatalism that
the then-dominant philosophy of “Optimism”
engendered

The Lisbon disaster provided a salutary
counterexample

In the later twentieth century, the disaster has been
compared to the Holocaust as a catastrophe that
transformed European culture and philosophy.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was also influenced by the
devastation following the earthquake, whose
severity he believed was due to too many people
living within the close quarters of the city. Rousseau
used the earthquake as an argument against cities
as part of his desire for a more naturalistic way of
life.

Since the earthquake took place
on All Saints’ Day and destroyed
most of the city’s major
churches, reactionary priests
blamed the destruction on
Lisbon’s supposed sins.

Inquisitors literally roamed the
streets looking for heretics to
hang. But the grip of the dead
hand of the medieval church on
society was weakening and
eventually broke.

Coming at a time when
bourgeois forces were growing
strong enough to burst the
straitjacket of feudalism, the
Lisbon disaster played a key role
in the Enlightenment, intellectual
forerunner for the French
Revolution of 1789-1804.
HISTORY OF CLASSICAL LIBERALISM
John Locke
Baron Montesquieu
John Stuart Mill

Adam Smith
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Thomas Hobbes
Thinkers whose ideas contributed to the
ideology of Liberalism p.102-112 . Handout
Thinkers
Beliefs
How their ideas were
radical at that time
How their ideas are
related to Classical
Liberalism
Hobbes
All people will give up some
of their sovereignty by
handing over power to the
state
Move power from individuals to
governing authority as long as
this ruler kept their citizens
safe, the could overthrow
them and find another leader
Security of all individuals
and the worth of the
individual.
Locke
Opposed authoritarianism of
the church and state
Advocated for government
accountability to the peoplesomething quite uncommon at
the time.
give up some natural
rights to a government
in order to receive order
and security
Montesquieu
Believed in the worth of the
individual and equality of
individuals
Desired the elimination of the
French Monarch system, to be
replaced with a more
equitable, accountable &
separate system of
government where citizens
would have much more say
and protection
Accountability of the
government
Separation of powers
Smith
Everyone would work for
themselves and thus benefit
society
Countered the dominated
mercantilist system of the
time(which promoted the
power and wealth of the state
but with only a few people
Free market system
Book Wealth of nations
The Dead Liberal Philosophers: Key Ideas
Thinkers
Beliefs
How their ideas were
radical at that time
John Stuart Mill Protection of
Individualism was
not the norm at this
time. Society was
still hierarchal.
individual
freedom. Protect
the liberty of
others.
How their ideas are
related to Classical
Liberalism
Free speech
The Dead Liberal Philosophers: Key Ideas
Thinkers
John Lock
Beliefs
Opposed
authoritarianism of
the church and
state
Individual should
make their own
decisions “tabula
ras” In order to
succeed people
would need to
enter into a social
contract,
How their ideas were
radical at that time
Advocated for
government
accountability to
the peoplesomething quite
uncommon at the
time.
How their ideas are
related to Classical
Liberalism
give up some
natural rights to
a government in
order to receive
order and
security
The Dead Liberal Philosophers: Key Ideas
Thinkers
Beliefs
How their ideas were
radical at that time
Adam Smith
Everyone would
work for themselves
and thus benefit
society. State
efforts to promote
social good are
ineffectual.
Countered the
dominated
mercantilist system
of the time(which
promoted the
power and wealth
of the state but with
only a few people
enjoying this power
and wealth. A free
market and limited
governmental role
in the economy
were new and
controversial ideas.
How their ideas are
related to Classical
Liberalism
Free market
system
Book Wealth of
nations
The Dead Liberal Philosophers: Key Ideas
Thinkers
Beliefs
How their ideas were
radical at that time
How their ideas are
related to Classical
Liberalism
Baron
Montesquieu
Believed in the
worth of the
individual and
equality of
individuals.
People need to be
involved in Gov.
Desired the
elimination of the
French Monarch
system, to be
replaced with a
more equitable,
accountable &
separate system of
government where
citizens would have
much more say and
protection
Accountability of
the government
Separation of
powers
The Dead Liberal Philosophers: Key Ideas
Thinkers
Beliefs
How their ideas were
radical at that time
How their ideas are
related to Classical
Liberalism
A Philosopher with Opposing Views
Thomas
Hobbes
All people will give
up some of their
sovereignty by
handing over
power to the state
Individuals are
selfish and it’s selfinterest that is the
root of social
conflict.
Move power from
individuals to
governing authority
as long as this ruler
kept their citizens
safe, the could
overthrow them
and find another
leader
Security of all
individuals and
the worth of the
individual.
Identify principles of
Liberalism Assignment

The term liberalism has had different meanings to historical and
contemporary contexts. Despite the changes over time, liberalism as
an ideology has retained some core principles and values that reflect a
particular view of human nature and the role of governments in society

Word document

Compare one historical philosopher from group A and one
contemporary figure from group B

Identify principles of liberalism that have remained constant over time.

Make sure to compare and contrast the two writers following the
principles and values of liberalism

P

R

I

C

E
Group A Historical
John Locke
Keynesian
John Stuart Mill
federalist)
Jeremy Bentham (social reformer)
Adam Smith
(economist FDR
Montesquieu
Iroquois Confederacy
Group B Contemporary
James Tobin (economist)
Pierre Trudeau (liberalism
Tommy Douglas (NDP)
John Kenneth Galbraith
supporter)
John Maynard Keynes
John F. Kennedy
Milton Friedman
Chief Clarence Louis
How Did Liberalism
Originate?

The challenges of classical liberalism!

When put into practice there were both positive
and negative impacts.

Societies adapted classical liberalism

To meet the challenges created by unrestricted
laissez-fair capitalism.

The question is why did classical liberalism
change?
Historical Development of European Ideas
And Events That Combined to Form Classical
Liberalism.

Significant Historical Events Through Paintings and
pictures
Political change: the government of the day was
lacking in the ability to govern, therefore policy
changes had to be enacted by a new
administration.
The Evolution of Classical
Liberal Thought
The Storming of the Bastille
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zPTFGLHavQ
The French Revolution
The Storming of the Bastille

Nationalist movement

Liberal movement

Rejected divine right of
kings

In favour of rule by a
government of people.

Replaced a social and
governmental system on
heredity and privilege
with a system based on
equality.
Quotes about Liberalism
and the French Revolution
Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712 - 1778
How is each quote an example of Liberalism?
 "Man was born free, and everywhere he is in
chains.“
 I prefer liberty with danger than peace with
slavery”
 “To renounce liberty is to renounce being a
man, to surrender the rights of humanity and
even its duties”
 Force does not constitute right... obedience is
due only to legitimate powers.”
 “Liberty is obedience to the law which one
has laid down for oneself”

Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen (Tennis Court Oath.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mueztN2MoGM
Test your understanding
(see chart next page)

Using a chart format, connect each of the six
principles of classical liberalism listed on p.105 with
the eight sections of the Declaration of the Rights
of Man and of citizens listed on p.115 and 118.
Connect Classical Liberalism and
the Declaration of the Rights of Man
Principles of Classical
Liberalism
The Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the
Citizen
American Revolution
1776
Washington Crossing the
Delaware. December 25, 1776,
during the American Revolutionary
War. It was the first move in a
surprise attack against the British
forces
The American Revolution 1776
The American Revolution refers to the political
upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in
which thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America
overthrew the governance of the Parliament of Great
Britain, and then rejected the British monarchy itself to
become the sovereign United States of America. In this
period the colonies first rejected the authority of the
Parliament to govern them without representation, and
formed self-governing independent states.
American Declaration of
Independence 1776
Declaration of
Independence
https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=13jLQ_3c8o
To what Extent did Aboriginal Ideas
Influence Liberalism in North America

Read p. 116

Based on the sources, what evidence is provided
to support the idea that the Great Law of Peace
may have an influence on the American
Constitution?
Check your
understanding




P.117
What specific aspects of liberalism were
built on and or adopted by these
individuals in the American revolution?
How would the comments be interpreted
by various groups in American colonial
society?
Examine the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms to determine the extent to
which liberal principles influenced the
writers of Canada’s constitution.
LIBERALISM TODAY
Stresses civil rights for all people
(individual rights and freedom of
choice)
Includes the idea of decentralized
Faith in human progress
 Equal treatment of all citizens
irrespective of race, gender and class.
 In the USA many social liberals favor
affirmative action.
Liberal Principles in Action
The Industrial Revolution created
much wealth for society overall
and made liberal reforms possible.
 Prior to that, societies often could
not affords the costs of banning
child labor, providing public
education, implementing worker
safety laws, providing welfare,
health care, and old age care,
etc.

Creation of the Liberal
Movement

Economic Aspects

Adam Smith “Wealth of Nations”
1776”

Evolved out of the ideas of the
industrial revolution
Originally

Traditional economy; based on subsistence
farming in rural areas, which shifted to
factories and urban centers.

Mercantilism is an economic theory that there
is a fixed amount of wealth in the world and
that a nation's prosperity depends on its
success in accumulating wealth by exporting
more than it imports. European nations of the
17th-19th centuries attempted to put it into
effect through commercial policies designed
to produce a favorable balance of trade,
through acquisition and development of
colonies as exclusive markets and sources of
raw materials.
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.html
The influence of Liberalism
on Capitalism
United Kingdom was

Economic freedom, individual freedom, private property and
completion.

Technological developments led to mechanization as
individual entrepreneurs and inventors tried to be more
efficient and profitable.

Innovation flourished

England was governed under a mixed constitution, made up
of the monarch, the House of Lords and the House of
Commons
Economic Policy (a shift)
Mercantilism
Capitalism
The goal is for the nation and
the monarch to acquire as
much wealth as possible.

There is open competition

Private property is guaranteed.

There is very little competition.

There is economic freedom

Nations exploit other, smaller
countries.

It is believed that self-interest
will make the nation profitable.

The government has the power
to intervene in the economy.

The power of the government
to intervene in the economy is
limited.

Economic Change
1776 Wealth of Nation (Scottish Economist Adam Smith
build on the physiocrat’s ideas of Laissez-fair
economics)
The invisible hand is most often
assumed to work is the free
market. Adam Smith assumed
that consumers choose for the
lowest price, and that
entrepreneurs choose for the
highest rate of profit. He
asserted that by thus making
their excess or insufficient
demand known through market
prices, consumers "directed"
entrepreneurs' investment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0dmRJ0o
Michael Moore schooled on
money to the most profitable Wg&feature=related
economics by Milton Friedman
industry.
Smith Believed

People instinctively see what is best for them

Self-interest should be freely expressed in an environment
of unlimited competition: (a free market system)

Natural interplay between buyers and sellers and workers
and employers would ultimately insure that goods were
produced efficiently and economically.

Government meddling in the economy not be necessary
Laissez-Faire Economics

Competition between consumers for products, between
businesses for consumer dollars, between workers for jobs,
and between employers for skilled workers would make
the economy regulated. Process is known as the invisible e
hand.

As individuals strove to better their own economic
situation, the economy of the nation as a whole wold also
benefit.
Invisible Hand

Man is motivated by self-interest
What do these points of view
have in common? Where do
they
differ?
 Both reflect the conditions of the working class.

Dickens:


Negative view of the I.R. & its impact on workers;
deplorable state of the cities & oppressive social &
working conditions.
Ricardo:

Positive view; as he sees the laws of economics at
work. His view is based on laissez-faire capitalism
Proponents of Liberalism

John Locke and John Stuart Mill
believed human beings are equal
and independent.

They believed that humans have
certain inalienable rights such as
the right to life, liberty, equality and
ownership of property.
Conservatism

The belief that individuals and society have a
moral responsibility to respect past traditions,
customs and habits. ( Status Quo”

When individuals and society wish to make
reforms, they must be slow and gradual.

Belief that society should be structured in a
hierarchical fashion.
Proponent of
Conservatism

Edmund Burke believed society should be
structured in a hierarchy with those best suited to
leadership at the top, because people do not
have equal abilities.

Government should be chosen by a limited
electorate with special rights, responsibilities, and
privileges.
TO SUM UP

Liberalism can be applied to the broad set of
values associated with democracy. The word
liberal is associated with a narrower interpretation
of how those values should be implemented.

At the other end of the political spectrum is the
conservative interpretation of how a liberal
democracy should function
Summary of What We
Have Looked At

What forces and beliefs stimulate the
development of classical liberalism.

You examined philosophers’ who contributed to
classical liberalism.

Classical liberalism emphasized the political
power of the people and the importance of
individual liberty.

Classical liberalism also limited government
intervention in the economy

Classical liberal philosophers tended to focus
heavily on the freedom to make money
The Influence of
Liberalism on Capitalism

Economic freedom, individual freedom, private
property and competition.

Technological developments led to
mechanization as individual entrepreneurs and
inventors tried to be more efficient and profitable.

Innovation flourished.
Before the Enclosure Movement
Inventions of the Industrial
Revolution
The Enclosure Movement
English farmers had raised crops and grazed their animals
on open fields for centuries. However, during the late 17th
century, English landowners began buying up village lands
and fencing them in. They then charged people for the use
of the land. This was known as enclosure.
Suddenly, they had to make a little land do as much as
possible.
Pressure was accompanied by the Liberal beliefs in the sanctity of
private property
Fewer agricultural labourers were needed on mechanized farms;
thus farmers became a large workforce for then new factories.
Jethro Tull’s Seed Drill
Cyprus Hall McCormick 1831
mechanical reaper
Greatly increased harvesting
crops.
John Kay 1733 Flying Shuttle,
Automation of textile making in the
A.R.
Spinning Jenny James
Hargreaves 1764

http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=james+hargreaves+spinning+jenny&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=1280&bih=598&tbm=isch&tbnid=DEgf6KflB-myrM:&imgrefurl=http://www.timetoast.com/flash/TimelineViewer.swf%3FpassedTimelines%3D89905&docid=8sQEVaeYXq0OpM&imgurl=http://s3.timetoast.com/public/uploads/photos/1144741/spining_jenny_2.jpg%253F1289238142&w=640&h=474&ei=M5PoT7ebKYGo2wXr9zaCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=472&vpy=287&dur=344&hovh=193&hovw=261&tx=81&ty=97&sig=112969002459040774130&page=2&tbnh=129&tbnw=174&start=20&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:20,i:181
James Watt’s improved
steam engine powers the I.R
1779 Samuel Crompton
Spinning mule
1785 Power Looms
Shift from Domestic System to the
Factory system



Workers received the raw
materials, take them
home and build
whatever was required,
and then return the
finished product.
Virtually all work was
done by hand, in much
the same way that it had
always be done since the
time of the Romans.
Usually work was done in
the labourer’s own home

The factory system developed in the late eighteenth
century, chiefly due to the advances being made in
the textile industry.

With inventions such as the flying shuttle, the spinning
jenny and many others, the making of cloth became
much faster, and could be done on a much wider
scale.

Hand weavers were driven out of business by bit new
factories, which they were later forced to work in.

These factories were first run by water, then by steam,
and their output greatly improved the nation’s
economy.

Instead of one worker completing an item, such as a
length of material, a variety of machines made the
fabric. Also, instead of one worker following the same
piece of material from raw wool to dyed cloth, each
worker concentrated on only one task. The “assemblyline” approach was very efficient, however the tasks
became extremely monotonous and repetitive.

Working conditions were also very poor. Factory
labours-mainly young children-had to put in extremely
long hours, were very poorly paid, and worked in
dangerous and violent surroundings. During the first
part of the industrial Revolution there were no laws to
protect workers, and even when a few were passed
they were rarely followed.
Compare and contrast
Cottage and Factory System
Similarities
Cottage System
Factory System
Commercial and Industrial
Revolutions

Development of a money economy and
the development of financial institutions


Discredited the government-regulated Mercantile
system (Mercantilism suggests that the ruling
government should advance economic goals by
playing a protectionist role in the economy; by
encouraging exports and discouraging imports,
notably through the use of tariffs and subsidies.) in
favor of free trade.
Commercial entrepreneurs emerged with
trading merchants.
The Industrial Revolution’s
Impact on 19th century Society
Read p.122
 Figure 3-13
 Can you answer the three questions associated with
this image?


Answer: factory owners, bankers and lawyers reaped
the benefits of leadership

Laborers who worked in factories were overworked
and paid low wages

Excessive number of laborers due to the agricultural
revolution; so wages were low.

Adam Smith: the free market for the exchange of
goods and services was seen as necessary despite
poor working conditions

To intervene would upset the normal operations of the
capitalist system.
Women and the Industrial
Revolution

What might explain the different views provided
by each source?

Do you think woman were better off during the
Industrial Revolution based on these two sources?

To what extent do these sources reveal the
impact of liberalism on society?
Answers to pg. 123

First source: retrospective look from a 21st century view.
Positive aspects. General commentary on woman

Second source: testimony given to a government
commission in 19th century England. Negative aspects. First
hand account.
Industrial Reform
 1833
The Factory
Act:limited the working day
for children
 1842 The Mines Act:barred
employers from hiring
women to work in mines
and made13 the minimum
age for children
IDUSTRIAL REV. IMPACT ON
TH CENTURY SOCIETY
19
 Change in class structure

Laissez-faire gov.

A move from aristocratic class to a new class of
entrepreneurs‘, professionals, financiers (industrial
efficiency)

Middle class

Working class

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4KrIMZp
wCY Model T
Concept Review/Liberalism in the Industrial
revolution

A growing emphasis on individual rights and freedoms;
especially for the middle class, but later for the labouring class
as they began to demand more equitable treatment through
government legislation.

Minimal government intervention

Enclosure ( private property) crated a large labour force for
the rising industrialization.

Freer trade, capital was created, allowing for the construction
of factories
To What extent did classical liberalism impact a society?
What factors were most important in bringing about the
emergence of classical liberalism
While exploring the Western European origins of liberalism,
consider that many people who believed in liberalism during
this time believed that:

Individual freedoms and rights would be protected

Nobody should be above the law

What is good for individuals within community can also be
good for the community as a whole

Most individuals, if left alone, will make good decisions for
themselves as well as their communities.

Government intervention should be limited so as to allow
individuals as much freedom of choice about their lives a
possible.

Individuals and companies should be allowed to create,
market, purchase, and sell products with a minimum of
government intervention (in free market economy)
Liberalism Today
Liberals today generally believe today that every
individual is unique. The purpose of life is to realize
that potential, and to become whatever it is one is
capable of becoming.
The role of the state (government) is to produce the
conditions under which individuals have the broadest
possible choice in deciding upon their definition of
good.
Society, meanwhile, should celebrate this diversity while
giving equal treatment to all, regardless of a person’s
origins, colour, sex or status in life.
In exchange for this respect, the individual must
acknowledge responsibility for his own fortunes and
for the fortunes of the community.
Classical Liberalism
Modern Liberalism
Interested in protecting the freedom
of individuals in the economic realm
Interested in creating equality of
opportunity for all individuals
Maximum rights and freedom for
certain individuals (entrepreneurs)
Freedom and rights favour the
individual, with more individuals in
society receiving rights.
Government rules, regulations (e.g.
minimum wage)., and social
programs (e.g. health care, old-age
pensions, employment)
Government intervenes to ensure that
the most vulnerable people (e.g. sick,
elderly, unemployed, working poor)
are cared for.
Anti Vietnam War
Demonstrations