When Blair became prime minister in 1997 he brought a new set of ideas and policies that would change the face of the labour party. His new ideas involved a complete free market economy whereby competition will be encouraged which will improve the levels of service offered to the country, but as long as there is no harm to other people in the process. Leading on from the free-market economy policies was the abolition of clause 4, which was in favour of the collective ownership of industries such as coal, steel. Instead he promoted the ideas communitarianism which gave new importance to decisions in the community rather than at a governmental level. New labour introduced the idea of the third way, a political theory between Thatcherism and social democracy which is a mixture between capitalism and socialism where individual enterprise goes hand in hand with social responsibility, meaning that the government has reduced their evolvement in people’s lives, going back to a more macro style of politics.
The first main difference between the Liberals and the Conservatives in the mid-1860s is their beliefs. The Liberals led by William Gladstone, were general believers of Gladstonian Liberalism. This was essentially “peace reform and retrenchment”. Gladstone’s own financial policies that were based on balanced budgets, low taxes, and laissez-faire (self-help) were better suited to the developing capitalist society of Britain in the mid-1860s. The Liberals were not very big supporters of the Monarch and wanted the Monarchy out of the political area and it just to be solely the government.
All in all, these two major movements produced a new understanding of society's relationships--first with God, and then with government. Shaping new attitudes was a first step towards what will eventually become the struggle for Independence and the American Revolution. However, most of the ideas would perhaps have remained theoretical if not for the wars that swept North America and increased tensions with the crown. In the early 1750s, French expansion into the Ohio River valley repeatedly brought France into armed conflict with the British colonies and the Seven Year War broke out. The French lost the war and in 1763 the Treaty of
(Kleiner 589) John Locke was also an important influence on Enlightenment thought as he focused on the goodness of the individual and his natural rights. (589) Thus the Enlightenment was characterized by the ideas of rationality and reason applied to all facets of life. Man was free from the restrictions of the church and despotic governments. The major revolutions that occurred in America and France at this time were all spurred on by Enlightenment principles. Some of the key players in the Enlightenment were Diderot, Voltaire, Rousseau, David, and Jefferson.
Amongst them is Albert Aboul who thought that Robespierre’s actions were necessary for the benefit of France. This could be because he admired his determination to change his country. If seen from that point of view, Robespierre did have a heroic nature. He supported freedom and total equality and he disliked war and violence. For instance, he opposed war against Austria on December 1791.
The reason why one has a duty to obey the government (when one does) is that such obedience maximizes society’s total utility. Hume was a Tory. The idea that legitimate government depends on the consent of the governed was popular among the Whigs. At the very beginning of his essay, Hume seems to agree with the social contract idea if it is understood as a thesis about how the very first governments arose in the distant past. But defenders of the social contract idea seem to think that present government depends on a contract among the people.
However Sociologists are now a lot less certain than the founding fathers and the debate about values highlights this. Positivists believe that if the rules of natural science are followed then Sociology can be classed as a Science. Comte is the inventor of the term Sociology, and he believed Sociology was value free. He argued that Sociology should be based on the methodology of natural sciences. Comte believed this would result in a ‘positive science of society’.
Nationalism and its advocates’ aggression towards countries that opposed their ideology were root causes of World War I. Liberalism and Communism are political theories that struck a chord with early 20th century society due to their focus on the masses instead of political leaders. Liberalism is defined as a “philosophy that advocates the freedom of all individuals through nonviolent political, social, or economic institutions that will assure development for society in an unrestricted form that guarantees individuals rights as well as civil liberties” (Webster). Communism is discussed in “The Communist Manifesto of 1848” by Karl Marx; some would also describe this theory as Socialism. Communism is a social system that believes that all property belongs to the community at large so that no individual has an advantage over anyone else. These political structures try to form a Utopian society that benefits not only the government, but also the citizens as individuals as well as a community.
Louis Napoleon claimed that sovereignty of the people was his first priority, but it is obvious that his authoritarian rule actually came first. However, The Bonapartist regime became a little more liberal in the 1860’s as Louis Napoleon became more lenient on press censorship, he allowed for open debates to take place in the parliament. He also began urban renewal and development projects in Paris and constructed railways which encouraged and created economic development. He appeared to be a very reliable and suitable emperor, but his main downfall was his terrible decisions when it came to his foreign policy which ultimately led to his demise. France was in a bad state after the revolutions of 1848 which was sparked, because the King Louis-Philippe and his ministers refused an extension to the franchise.
They also believe that people as individuals are capable of thinking logically and rationally in areas of political science and economics, allowing the replacement of old, traditional views by newer and more appropriate views that fit today’s modern way of living. Liberalism supports the free market concept of creating wealth to whoever strives for it rather than placing regulations and limitations on occupations people can hold which no doubt limits their economic a social growth. These basic characteristics of liberalism have led liberals to argue in favor of a limited government, which draws its power from the people. An example of a liberalist government would be during the 1600, particularly the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in Britain. During this time the liberal views