Discuss the streams of liberal thought on development.

 The liberal school of thought in the economic, social, and political fields is not monolithic; rather there are divergent streams of liberal thoughts, particularly on the question of individual freedom vis-à-vis the state.

Some liberals put more emphasis on economic freedom and allow greater government intervention in moral life (the political philosophy embedded in Thatcherism and Reaganism is taken as an example in this line) while others uphold the idea of minimum state intervention in all walks of life. The latter theoretical position is often known as libertarianism.

Libertarianism has its roots in the writings of the seventeenth-century English political philosopher John Locke, who emphasised the priority of individual rights to life, liberty and property, and the elimination of coercive intervention by the state, which is taken as the prime violator of liberty. Above all, individual liberty is an identifiable marker of conservative thought (the guiding ideology of the British Conservative and American Liberal parties). American philosopher Robert Nozick (1974) and the economist Fredrich Hayek are among the modern protagonists of libertarianism in their respective fields. Nozick argues in favour of reducing the role of the state to a mere “protection agency” for the citizens. Hayek (1944, 1982), holds that the ideal economic and political arrangement and interpersonal relationships are modeled on market exchanges, the role of the government is reduced to maintaining order and providing public services that involve formidable initial capital services. The libertarian ideals have found strongest support in the United States wherein conservatism and neo-liberalism are easily blended. In essence, libertarianism calls for human action not guided by any form of determinism.

Liberal beliefs often contradict those of socialism and conservatism. Tom Paine’s radical liberalism, based on the idea of a minimum government involvement in the economy, is close to socialism; whereas the overriding concern of other liberals to uphold the rights of private property draws them close to conservatism. The early liberalism of Paine and others was progressive because it aimed to liberate individuals from traditional political constraints. They wanted government to be confined, in John Locke’s words, to the role of an ‘umpire’, which would impartially safeguard individual freedom and rights. It was thus believed that citizens would be offered maximum opportunity to shape their own future.

Liberalism continued to be associated with progressive social trends even after the erosion of the power of the aristocracy. However, from the end of the nineteenth century, liberals began to encourage the growth of government initiatives. Liberals now argued that individual freedom was diminished by poverty and unemployment which stemmed from uncontrolled laissez faire capitalism. Hence the need for the government to assume a larger role in social affairs, and in the elimination of economic constraints upon personal liberty.

Liberals always believed that doing away with political and economic constraints on individual behaviour would lead to moral improvement throughout society. Individual liberation, according to this viewpoint, is the key to social progress. Individuals who lead a free and independent existence are likely to acquire virtues such as self-reliance, prudence, tolerance and respect for the rights of others. These virtues are often described as ‘bourgeois’ since they are typically displayed by economically successful groups in capitalist society.

Liberalism has been allied with the progress of the capitalist world. Its subscribers seek to remove restraints upon the capacity of individuals to participate economic competition. They have argued that the economic independence associated with capitalist regimes also breeds a sense of moral independence. Liberals, in this sense, can be said to favour a process of “embourgeoisment” in which everyone will eventually adopt attitudes compatible with a competitive economy.

The history of liberalism reveals a succession of strategies to extend rights which, it is judged, will secure the economic and moral independence of individuals. The different versions of liberalism foresee a one-class society consisting of self-governing citizens. The liberal ideal of a community is where despite inequalities of wealth, self-discipline and mutual respect are upheld.

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