Discuss the rival concepts of individualism and contrasting models of freedom within Liberalism

on others. The concept of negative freedom means that Classical Liberals are hostile towards state intervention and regard it as necessary only to safeguard individual rights and freedoms, such as those of “life, liberty and property” set out by John Locke.In contrast Modern (or Progressive) Liberals are much more supportive of state intervention, believing that it encourages rather than restricts the freedom of individuals. This view developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when the Classical Liberal value of negative freedom seemed to be leading people into poverty, sickness and unemployment. In this climate the concept of positive freedom evolved from thinkers such as J.S. Mill and T.H. Green. The notion of positive freedom is that individuals should have the freedom to develop themselves and their talents, if necessary with the help of the state. Such values were laid out in the 1942 Beveridge Report, which outlined the plan to increase freedom for the individual by setting up a welfare state and slaughtering the ‘five giants’ of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness, which were constraining society. It appeared that negative freedoms did not necessarily allow individuals to make the best for themselves. The Progressive Liberal view of freedom is that if the individual is constrained by such circumstances then they do not have the freedom to develop and improve as a person. The Liberal thinker John Stuart Mill particularly emphasised intellectual improvement, defining appreciation of art, literature and philosophy to be ‘higher’ pleasures than those of food and sexual intercourse because they emphasised expansion of the mind rather than satisfaction for the body. He stated “it is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied”. Whilst Mill and other Modern Liberals supported the traditional Liberal idea of the importance of the individual their concept of individualism was more developmental than that of Classical Liberals. Progressive Liberalism views society as holding more value than just a ‘collection of individuals’ and whilst Classical Liberalism accepts than individuals should aim to benefit themselves, Modern Liberalism supports the idea that society should allow individuals to develop their potential in order that society itself keeps improving. Hence Modern Liberals support the concept of positive freedoms offered by the state in order to improve both individuals and society.The Libertarian view of freedom is in some sense a compromise between the views of Classical and Modern Liberalism. Whilst Libertarians accept the Classical Liberal view that individuals should have the freedom to make their own decisions, they regard it necessary for there to be some restrictions in order to prevent harm to others. For example a Libertarian may regard smoking in enclosed public spaces as unacceptable because it is harmful to others in the area whereas a Classical Liberal may suggest that the individual has the right to do so. The Libertarian view is that individuals have the right to act without interference so long as their actions do not harm others, but some interference is necessary so as to prevent such harm. The area in which Libertarians suggest there should be the least interference is economics where they support a laissez-faire (literally ‘leave it alone’) attitude. This is shared by Neo-Liberals such as Margaret Thatcher who wished to ‘roll back the state’ and provide freedoms in economics, for example by removing restrictions on the operation of the free market. However though the Neo-Liberal stance shows similarities to that of Classical Liberals in relation to economics, there are strong differences between the two on the subject of the individual. Neo-Liberals are suspicious of allowing individuals to make their own decisions in relation to social affairs and support state intervention as a way of keeping social order, e.g. the introduction of ‘section 28’ (banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools). Though the Neo-Liberal approach to economics is shared with Libertarians and Classical Liberals their approach to freedom for the individual in other areas, such as morality, is evidently more authoritarian than other Liberal views of individual freedom. It perhaps has most in common with the Progressive approach due to the shared support of state intervention, though the aforementioned supports state intervention for reasons of individual improvement rather than maintaining social order.Within Liberalism the rival concepts of individualism and contrasting models of freedom are hugely inter-linked. The Classical Liberal concept of the individual as rational and capable of making their own decisions leads to the model of negative freedoms, the individual is rational enough to be free to make decisions without interference from the state. Meanwhile the Modern Liberal approach of developmental individualism where the individual is expected to pursue self-improvement goes hand in hand with the positive freedom model where freedom is seen as a way to improvement, with state intervention if necessary. Both Neo-Liberalism and Libertarianism support freedom in economics but take a stricter view on other freedoms, supporting some restrictions. The concepts of individualism and freedom take different meanings within different strands of Liberalism.