Classical Liberalism Essay, Research Paper

Classical liberalism was the dominant ideology of capitalism during the periods of eighteenth century. It view was widely accepted. It said that government should just sit back and watch business so they do not cheat the government also to enforce

contracts. The classical had many creeds they were Psychological, economic, and ,political. Each view has its own points. In this paper I will discuss those points and show you how Bob Dole is a classical liberalist.

Psychological creed of classical liberalism is based on four assumptions of human nature. People were believed to be egoistic, coldly calculating, essential inert, and atomistic. Hobbes a economics argued that people were motivated by the desire for pleasure and to avoid pain. Jeremy Bentham believed pleasure differ in intensity but there was no qualitative difference. He argued that “quality of pleasure being equal, to a pushpin is as good as poetry,” The theory he is trying to say about human motivation is that the we are lazy and selfish

A big part of classical liberalism is that we are coldly calculating. Being coldly calculating means that when a situation comes about we dissever what will make

us receive less pain and more pleasure. Although the human motivation is by pleasure it is the decision that are cold, selfish, dispassionate, and rational assessment of the situation to choose how to avoid the pain and receive the pleasure. The emphasis on the importance of rational measurement of pleasure and pains that forms the calculating intellectual side of the classical liberal?s of psychology.

Classical liberalism tells us that if the individuals saw there was no chance of pleasure or feared no pain, then they would be inert, motionless, or in simpler terms. Just plain lazy. Any type of extra work is consider painful therefore would not been done unless

someone were to promise them greater pleasure then the pain. This thinking of the human race being lazy came about in the 1700 to 1770 in England where people only worked because of the fear of hunger. The Reverend Joseph Townsend put this view very succinctly: ” Hunger is not only peaceable, silent and unremitted pressure, but, as the most natural motive to industry and labor, it calls forth the most powerful exertions.” Towsend believed that “only the experience of hunger would goad them to labor”

The last view of classical liberalism is atomistic. The view of atomism is that the individual was a more fundamental reality than the group or society. The classical liberals rejected the views of Christian paternalist ethic which was that the society is like a family and the relationships that made up that society was more important then the individual. Classical liberals believed the society was nothing but a additive of the individuals that constructed it.

The classical liberals believed that economic creed was that people would always exert themselves to be better and more wealthy then the people around them. If both capitalists and laborers were left alone, self-interest would guide them o use their capital and labor where were are most productive. The search for more money would be all society would need to keep itself together. They believed that the government should have no control to limit or control in any way to what is to be produced and how. A better product will always top another so self-interest would strive producers to produce better quality products for the consumers.

The political creed said that the government should protect society in three ways. The first way was from any threats of from external threats which lead in the nineteenth century to a protection of foreign markets through armed coercion. The second way was to protect citizens against “injustices” committed by other citizens. The protection

was only for private property, enforcement of contracts, and preservation of internal order. The third was giving the government the job to protect the source of power of the economically and politically dominant class; the capitalists.

When Bob Dole said “its your money , its your money, its your money, and you know how to spend it better than the government” he was referring to the view of the classical liberalism where we are coldly calculating, egotistical, inert, and ,atomistic. He believes that society would drive themselves. He agrees with the economic creed that the government should only protect us from the “injustices” of society. I agree with what Bob Dole is saying because I believe that people will dive themselves to get more money which in turn will cause better quality goods and also more jobs. Which in turn will cause a better society. I also believe that the government should not be able to control businesses only watch over them. I also agree that the government should only protect us from “injustices” and to help maintain contracts.

Classical liberalism is a view that people know how to run a good society whether they know it or not. It is a instinctive drive to do better. Society will learn to use each other to do better, to push ourselves further, and intern help each other out. We do not need the government to control us because that may in time cause a society to self-destruct

because you are not being lead by the views and drives of yourself but the wills of others. So inconclusion classical liberalism is a view that is very necessary in our society.

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