Thinker

  Beliefs   How  were  they  radical   How  were  their  ideas  

for  their  5me?     related  to  classical  
liberalism    

Thomas   Humans,  who  are   Moved  power  from   Hobbes’  emphasis  on  the  
Hobbes   naturally  selfish,  could   individuals  to  governing   best  interest  of  
live  in  peace  and  avoid   authority  as  long  as  this   individuals  –  even  though  
fear  of  civil  conflict  by   ruler  kept  his  or  her   under  a  strong  poli<cal  
giving  up  all  of  their   ci<zens  protected.  If  the   authority  –  reflected  
poli<cal  rights  to  a  ruler   poli<cal  leader  did  not   classical  liberal  ideas  
(Leviathan)  who  would   protect  his  or  her   suppor<ng  the  
in  turn  protect  them.     ci<zens,  they  could   importance  of  rights  and  
overthrow  him  or  her   freedoms  and  the  limited  
and  find  another  leader   power  of  the  state  as  well  
to  protect  them.  Hobbes   as  the  ra<onality  of  
valued  the  worth  and   individuals  to  enter  a  
protec<on  of  individual   type  of  agreement  with  
subjects  –  which  during   their  leadership.    
his  <me  was  unusual.    
Thinker   Beliefs   How  were  they  radical   How  were  their  ideas  
for  their  5me?     related  to  classical  
liberalism    

John   Focused  on  reason  and   Advocated  for   Locke’s  connec<ons  to  
Locke   logic  to  determine   government   classical  liberal  ideas  are  
ac<ons.  A  social   accountability  to  the   seen  in  his  belief  in  the  
contract  between  the   people  –  something   ra<onal  decision  making  
people  and  their   quite  uncommon  at  the   of  individuals  and  the  
government  is   <me  –  and  the   advocacy  for  the  rule  of  
necessary.  The  people   ownership  of  and   law  and  protec<on  of  civil  
give  up  some  of  their   protec<on  of  private   liber<es  and  the  
rights  and  in  return  they   property.     cons<tu<onal  limita<ons  
receive  social  order  and   on  the  government  that  
security  for  themselves   are  guaranteed  through  
and  their  property.     the  social  contract  
established  between  the  
people  and  their  
governing  authori<es.    
Thinker   Beliefs   How  were  they  radical   How  were  their  ideas  
for  their  5me?     related  to  classical  
liberalism    

Montesquieu     Valued  worth   Desired  the  elimina<on   Montesquieu  placed  

and  equality  of   of  the  French  monarch   importance  on  the  rule  
the  individual   system,  to  be  replaced   of  law,  the  primacy  of  
and  the  need  for   with  a  more  equal,   individual  rights  and  
accountable   accountable,  and   freedoms,  and  the  
government.  The   separated  system  of   cons<tu<onal  
separa<on  of  the   government  where   limita<ons  on  the  
execu<ve,   individual  ci<zens   government,  as  
legisla<ve,  and   would  have  much  more   evidenced  in  his  call  for  
judicial  branches   say  and  protec<on.     democra<c  reforms  to  
of  government   the  French  government.  
was  necessary  to   These  ideals  reflected  
ensure   his  commitment  to  
accountability.   classical  liberalism.    
He  advocated  a  
democra<c  form  
of  government.    
Thinker   Beliefs   How  were  they   How  were  their  
radical  for  their  5me?     ideas  related  to  
classical  liberalism    

Adam   Borrowed  ideas  from  the   Smith’s  ideas  were   Smith’s  economic  
Smith     physiocrats  who  believed  in   completely  opposite   ideas  are  directly  
individuals  making  their  own   the  dominant   related  to  economic  
economic  decisions,  and  that   mercan<list  system  of   freedom,  self-­‐
their  selfishness  and   the  <me  (which   interest,  
compe<<veness  would  inevitably   promoted  the  power   compe<<on,  and  
benefit  their  socie<es.  Smith   and  wealth  of  the   private  property.  He  
believed  that  their  own  self-­‐ state  but  with  only  a   argued  that  
interests  would  benefit  the  others   few  people  enjoying   individuals,  not  
and  the  state  (the  “invisible   this  power  and   governments,  
hand”).  As  individuals  focused  on   wealth).  A  free  market   should  play  a  
their  own  interests,  they  would   and  limited   primary  role  in  
help  others  by  providing  jobs  and   governmental  role  in   economic  maTers.  
cheaper  products.  The   the  economy  were   His  ideas  can,  quite  
government’s  role  in  the   new  and  controversial   obviously,  be  <ed  to  
economy  would  be  to  ensure  fair   ideas.     the  rule  of  law  
contracts,  protect  private   (contracts)  and  
property,  and  provide  some   individual  rights  
public  works.     and  freedoms.    
Thinker   Beliefs   How  were  they  radical   How  were  their  ideas  
for  their  5me?     related  to  classical  
liberalism    

John   Individual  freedom  and   His  emphasis  on   Mill’s  focus  on  the  free  
Stuart   rights  as  well  as  free   individual  rights  and   exercising  of  individual  
Mill   speech  were  paramount   freedom  of  speech  (even   rights  and  freedoms  and  
to  Mill.  Only  in  the  case   for  women)  was  notable   the  protec<on  of  civil  
where  one  individual’s   in  an  era  where  these   liber<es  (free  speech)  is  
ac<ons  could  harm   rights  and  freedoms   directly  drawn  from  
another  did  Mill  think  it   were  restricted.     classical  liberal  ideas.    
necessary  for  there  to  
be  restric<ons.  
Democra<c  prac<ce  
was  of  utmost  
importance.    
Thinker   Beliefs   How  were  they  radical   How  were  their  ideas  
for  their  5me?     related  to  classical  
liberalism    

David   The  wages  paid  to   ATempted  to  ra<onally   The  prominence  of  the  
Ricardo     workers  needed  to  be   explain  capitalist   individual  and  his  or  her  
determined  by  the   economic  principles  to   economic  decision  
supply  of  and  demand   avoid  any  government   making  –  whether  as  
for  their  skills.  The  state   interference.  He   employer  or  employee  –  
should  not  in  any  way   believed  that  these   Ricardo  drew  from  
regulate  this  natural   principles  were   classical  liberal  thought  
contract.     “natural”;  that  is,  the   and  specifically  derived  
were  integral  to  the   from  self-­‐interest  and  
system  and  required  no   compe<<on  (capitalist  
balancing  from  an   no<ons).    
external  agency.    
Thinker   Beliefs   How  were  they  radical   How  were  their  ideas  
for  their  5me?     related  to  classical  
liberalism    

Charles   Social,  economic,  and   Cri<cized  the  social,   Dickens  was,  in  a  sense,  
Dickens     environmental   economic,  and   cri<cizing  the  ideas  of  
devasta<on  brought  on   environmental   classical  liberalism  which  
by  capitalism     condi<ons  created  by   promoted  compe<<on  
capitalist  excesses.   and  economic  freedom.    
Wrote  novels  dealing  
with  the  socioeconomic  
and  poli<cal  climate  of  
the  1800s.  Condi<ons  in  
a  factory  town,  outcries  
against  factory  owners,  
and  child  labour,  
featured  in  his  work.