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Nineteenth Century Ideologies: Conservatism, Liberalism, and Socialism
Conservatism: The Value of Tradition Liberalism: The Value of the Individual Alexis de Tocqueville and the Problem of Democracy
Liberal Economic Thought Thomas Malthus Essay on the Principle of Population
(1798) Radicalism and Democracy: The Expansion of Liberalism
Early Socialism: New Possibilities for Society
Study Guide Conservatism: The Value of Tradition Why did conservatives criticize the
Enlightenment ideals (the innate goodness of man, the natural rights of the
individual, equality, faith in progress) that spread throughout Europe after
the French Revolution? How could conservatives like Edmund Burke
argue that the philosophe’s faith in reason was dangerous and destructive? What is the
conservative’s conception of the natural state of man? Why did conservatives defend the authority of
ancient institutions like the church, the monarchy, and the aristocracy? What did
Burke think of John Locke’s social contract theory of government? How could Burke defend the English
Constitution yet criticize the abstract principles at the core of the
American and the French Constitutions? Liberalism: The Value of the Individual What social
class completed its rise to prominence during the nineteenth century? According to liberals, how would Enlightenment principles lead civilization to a new age of free institutions and responsible citizenship? Why
is education central to the liberal’s belief in social progress? What
individual rights did liberals support? What
form of government did liberals support? What
was the proper role of government in setting economic policy? Why
did liberals argue that the pursuit of individual self-interest would lead to
a better society? Alexis de Toqueville and the Problem of DemocracyDid
the bourgeoisie believe that all members of society should have political
rights? What
inherent dangers to society did de Toqueville observe during his travels
through America in the 1830’s? Why
might citizens in a democracy be willing to sacrifice their personal liberty? Why
did de Toqueville fear a ‘tyranny of the majority’? How
might the pursuit of individual self-interest degenerate into hedonism (the
doctrine that pleasure is the ultimate good)? How
could a democratic society protect itself form both a ‘tyranny of the
majority’ and ‘individual hedonism’? How
have de Toqueville’s fears about democracy been born out by events in the
twentieth century in both America and Europe? Liberal Economic ThoughtHow
did the industrial revolution spawn a host of social problems that reached
crisis proportions in the late nineteenth century? Why
were governments slow to respond to social problems? Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations (1776) How
did Adam Smith define the source of a nation’s wealth? Why
did Smith criticize government intervention in the economy? According
to Smith, how did reliance on ‘the invisible hand’ of market forces work to
the benefit of all members of society? What
did Smith believe were the proper functions of laissez-faire government? Why
did liberals oppose humanitarian legislation to alleviate the misery of the
poor? Thomas Malthus Essay on the Principle of Population
(1798) Why was poverty natural and ineradicable according to Malthus? Why
would state programs, private philanthropy, even higher wages fail to solve
the problems of poverty, according to Malthus? How
did liberals like Malthus make the argument that state regulation of the
economy actually contributed to the problem of poverty? Radicalism and Democracy: The Expansion of LiberalismHow
did radical liberals believe that they could reform the government so that it
would safeguard the interests of workers and common people? Explain
Jeremy Bentham’s principle of utility in his approach to reform. How
did his belief in active government clash with the ideas of classical
liberals? Early Socialism: New Possibilities for SocietyWhy
did socialists believe that both the classical liberal’s belief in individual
freedom and the radical liberal’s belief in reform would fail to have any
impact on the problems of industrial society? What
enlightenment principles are at the foundation of socialism? How
did the Romantic idea of social progress influence socialist thought? Why
did socialists criticize liberal faith in individual liberty and equality? How
did the socialists plan to reorganize society? Who
would be the new elite in Saint-Simon’s socialist society? Describe
Fourier’s socialist utopia: the phalanstery. What
reforms did Owen encourage factory owners to make voluntarily? |