Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• The meaning of the key concepts and terminology:
• the individual
• freedom
• human nature
• the state
• society
• the economy
• classical liberalism
• modern liberalism
• That liberalism is a political ideology centred on the importance of the individual and the protection of freedom.
• That liberalism has developed over time and contains internal tensions and disagreements, especially between classical liberalism and modern liberalism.
• That one of the central debates in liberalism is about the relationship between the individual and the state.
• That liberals generally believe individuals are of great moral importance and should not simply be subordinated to tradition, authority or the collective.
• That freedom is a core liberal value, but liberals disagree about what freedom means and how it is best protected.
• That liberal thought includes debate about negative freedom and positive freedom:
• negative freedom as freedom from interference
• positive freedom as the ability to fulfil one's potential
• That liberals have differing views on human nature, but many see human beings as rational, capable of choice and deserving of rights.
• That liberalism tends to support limited government, constitutionalism and the rule of law, but modern liberals are more willing than classical liberals to support state action.
• That liberals have differing views on society:
• classical liberals often place greater emphasis on individualism
• modern liberals are more likely to recognise social inequalities and interdependence
• That liberals also differ on the economy:
• classical liberals favour a free-market economy with minimal state intervention
• modern liberals support a regulated market and state action to promote opportunity and welfare
• The defining features of classical liberalism, including:
• limited state
• individual responsibility
• free-market capitalism
• negative liberty
• suspicion of government intervention
• The defining features of modern liberalism, including:
• social justice
• welfare provision
• regulated capitalism
• positive liberty
• a more enabling role for the state
• The key ideas of John Locke, including
• natural rights
• liberty and individualism
• fiduciary power of government
• the idea that government rules with the consent of the governed and only as a trust on their behalf
• The key ideas of John Stuart Mill, including:
• his criticism of hedonism
• his defence of freedom
• the importance of the integrity and self-respect of the individual
• the distinction between self-regarding and other-regarding actions
• The key ideas of John Rawls, including:
• his concept of justice
• the principles of justice
• the idea that inequalities are only justified if they benefit the least advantaged
• The key ideas of Thomas Hill Green, including:
• self-development
• the role of the state
• negative and positive freedom
• the view that the state can help create the conditions for genuine freedom
• The key ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft, including:
• equality and rights
• her role in the revolution controversy
• her criticisms of aristocracy and republicanism
• her challenge to the exclusion of women from liberal rights
• The key ideas of Betty Friedan, including:
• equal rights
• links to the Civil Rights movement
• links to the feminist movement in the USA
• the argument that formal rights alone do not remove entrenched inequality
• That the named thinkers should be understood in relation to liberal views on:
• human nature
• the state
• society
• the economy

• Define and use accurately the key vocabulary of liberalism.
• Explain what liberalism is and identify its core values.
• Analyse debates about the nature of liberalism, including whether it is best understood as one tradition or two competing strands.
• Explain the importance of the individual and freedom within liberal thought.
• Compare classical and modern liberalism in relation to:
• freedom
• the state
• society
• the economy
• human nature
• Explain similarities and differences between thinkers within the liberal tradition.
• Apply the ideas of Locke, Mill, Rawls, Green, Wollstonecraft and Friedan to questions about liberty, equality, rights and state power.
• Explain Locke's view of natural rights and limited government.
• Explain Mill's harm principle through the distinction between self-regarding and other-regarding actions.
• Explain Rawls's principles of justice and why they are associated with modern liberalism.
• Explain Green's argument for positive freedom and an enabling state.
• Explain Wollstonecraft's extension of liberal rights and equality to women.
• Explain Friedan's contribution to liberal feminism and equal rights debates.
• Assess whether freedom is best protected by a minimal state or an active state.
• Evaluate whether liberalism prioritises liberty over equality, or whether the two can be reconciled.
• Construct balanced arguments about disagreements within liberalism.
• Support arguments with relevant thinkers and concepts rather than relying on general description.
• Make reasoned judgements in essay-style responses on issues such as:
• Is liberalism primarily about negative freedom?
• Are classical and modern liberalism fundamentally different?
• Does liberalism support equality as much as liberty?
• Which thinker best represents liberalism?