Contemporary Political Ideas Of Liberalism - 2003 Words

Many contemporary political ideas concerning Liberalism have arisen from theories written by Benjamin Constant, a Swiss-French political activist. The central principles of Liberalism are rights and popular sovereignty. Constant’s defense of individual rights are very much tied up with the idea of limiting state power. His work reveals a subtle suspicion of governmental power and a slight anxiety over the risks of giving power to those who may not have societal interest at heart. The critique of society made by Constant has underlying similarities and forthright differences with the Communist theorist Karl Marx. Marx wrote about true political representation and the ways in which political power in certain hands can revolutionize society. In terms of popular sovereignty and democracy, the two scholars seem to write in the interest of the sovereign, the social body. They are opposed on the topic of rights, especially property rights — the Communist theory is centered aro und the abolition of such, whereas Constant writes that property owners are better qualified for politics. The similarities within their theories lie in their writings on representation and their ideas concerning which hands power should be concentrated into. Constant argues for popular sovereignty through an argument against political sovereignty. His logic behind limiting government power and enacting direct elections is concerned with popular sovereignty. In the Principles of Politics, it is articulatedShow MoreRelatedHistorical Developments And Social Changes Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesGiven the fact that political theories must continually respond to historical developments and social changes, no significant political tradition worthy of its name can afford to remain in the state of stasis. The postmodern turn, which has been underway since the 1960s, has turned out to be a particularly significant challenge to established political traditions of the 20th century. In parti cular, such prominent theoretical frameworks as liberalism, positivism, and Marxism had to confront the postmodernRead More Modern Political Thoery and Liberalism Essay1040 Words   |  5 PagesModern Political Thoery and Liberalism The subject given for this paper was to â€Å"assess the alienation from liberalism found in modern and contemporary political theory.† To be honest, I don’t see a correlation with alienating liberalism and modern political thought through the time line of political theory in the 18th and19th century and through the 20th century. So, for this paper, I will prove the opposite. I will show, in my opinion, how the rise of liberalism has kept alive modern and contemporaryRead MoreIdeals of Liberalism Expressed in President Obamas Speeches 1470 Words   |  6 Pages What both these speeches hold in common, is the logic behind the liberalism tradition of international relations. The foundations of the President’s speeches are set in the ideals of liberalism from which rise three strands of modern liberal thinking: economic, social, and political. â€Å"Liberalism is a distinct ideology and set of institutions that has shaped the perceptions of and capacities for foreign relations of political society that range from social welfare or social democratic to laissezRead MoreThe Development of Liberalism throught the Ages1377 Words   |  6 Pages â€Æ' In this paper, an attempt has been made to capture the journey from classical liberalism and its transformation down the ages. The idea of liberalism originated in Europe with the thoughts of political philosophers like J.S. Mill, Herbert Spencer, John Locke. They were of the opinion that state activities can regulate an individual in so far as it aids towards his self expression and individual action. They also said that states were supposed to help economic transaction by controllingRead More A Cultural Problem, an Economic Crisis1099 Words   |  5 Pagesthe result of the new culture of neo-liberalism and the hyper-individuality and debt-based consumption that it brought with it. What’s worse is that, without an admission of this new culture, or any effort to change it, our current economic system will be regularly plagued with such crises from here on into the future. Before any efforts can be made towards a cultural shift however, we must first understand, at least briefly, the current socio-political ideas that are creating such issues in theRead MoreA Contemporary Analysis : Immigration And The Three Theoretical Paradigms1749 Words   |  7 PagesA Contemporary Analysis: Immigration and the Three Theoretical Paradigms Chris Ek Salisbury University Abstract The three theoretical paradigms of liberalism, mercantilism, and Marxism all create different analyses of certain contemporary issues. Leaders in society today use the paradigms to help create opinions over economics, immigration, and other key subjects that world leaders are constantly debating. Although, the knowledge of the basic foundations of each theory is extremely importantRead MoreRelationship Between Liberalism And Conservatism1317 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will assess the relationship between liberalism and conservatism by exploring the differences in ideological beliefs of these two ideologies. Ideology can be defined as â€Å"set of interrelated and more or less coherent ideas† that constitutes of both â€Å"descriptive and normative element† on how a society works (Heywood, 2007, pp. 6-7). One of the most popular ideology in contemporary politics is liberalism which accord individual liberty and free market as its primary priority. On the otherRead MoreThe Racism Of Black Resentment900 Words   |  4 Pagesstill constitute racism; it is called color blind racism. The idea that blacks are better off today than 50 years ago, but will not reach the superiority as whites hold in many institutions. Color blind racism ideologies operate in four frames which is abstract liberalism, biologization of culture, naturalization of racial matter, and minimization of racism. Abstract liberalism involves race related issues in the language of liberalism; whites can appear reasonable and moral, while opposing almostRead MoreThe Development Of Liberalism After The Chinese Economic Reform And Open Up1708 Words   |  7 PagesFriedrich von Hayek elaborates the necessity of economic freedom to the formulation of liberalism. In the 1980s, China, a country undergoing dramatic economic program, worshiped Hayek’s idea, and fiercely debated the extent of government interventionism in this entire process. Following Hayek’s logic, a pure and complete economic freedom would inevitably lead to political liberalism. In contrast, a manipulated economy, like the one China developed before 1977, suppressed consumers’ freedom, and facilitatedRead MoreThe Russian-Ukraine Issue1108 Words   |  4 Pagescold-war, through the usage of a wide variety of mass media, has challenged people to believe that Russia has been brainwashing its own citizens, as well as believe that Ukraine had persistently tried to resist this open type of propaganda. The main idea of this event is throwing us back to the end of the 2013, when people had just decided to strike, because of the non-competency of our (Ukrainian) ex-government in signing the EU trade agreement. At first glance, it was just a simple reaction, just