1. Foundations of Modern Political, Social, and Economic Thought
19th Century Ideas
Foundations of Modern Political, Social, and Economic Thought

2. Conservatism
Political ideology that developed in the late 18th century.
Defended established social and political order of Europe as natural (royalty).
Conservatism questioned the possibilities of radical change.
British MP Edmund Burke was its most vocal advocate.
Edmund Burke

3. Classical Liberalism
Associated with ideas of social progress, economic development, and individualism that emerged in the Enlightenment.
Closely associated with middle class values and concerns.
Generally advocated political reforms, but also promoted an orderly society.
In this way, it was often limited in scope and not concerned for the needs of the masses.

4. Political Liberalism
Political liberalism was based on the ideas of John Locke, Voltaire and other philosophes of the 18th century .
Political liberalism called for greater individual rights, religious freedom, freedom of the press, property rights, representative government (at least for the middle class, not “democracy”)

5. Economic Liberalism
Based mostly on laissez-faire ideas of Adam Smith and other economists.
Markets should be as free from government intervention as possible.
Thomas Malthus
An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798)
Population growth would outstrip food.
David Ricardo
“Iron Law of Wages”
labor based on supply and demand

6. Adam Smith
Smith criticized both guild and mercantile-based economic systems as restraining.
Promoted liaise-faire (i.e. classical liberalism) ideology in The Wealth of Nations (1776).
Free market economy based on division of labor and the fewest government restrictions as possible

7. Utilitarianism and Socialism
As the 19th century progressed, more and more politicians, economists and philosophers began to see that conservatism and liberalism were not serving the needs of the developing industrial society.
They began to theorize about alternative systems that would bring about a better society.

8. Utilitarianism Jeremy Bentham
Argued that gov’t sometimes needed to intervene on behave of the oppressed.
Every human practice should be valued in terms of its utility (happiness).
Individual freedom with the benefits for the most (welfare state)

9. Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill
Further evolution of liberal doctrine away from laissez-faire.
Strong advocate of women’s rights.
Supported formation of labor unions, progressive taxes, universal suffrage, and child labor restrictions.

10. Socialism Utopian Socialism
Socialists of the early 19th century did not have a coherent ideology, but different ideas put forth.
Common to most were the ideas of the abolition of private property (either owned by the state of by groups of workers.
And the need to educate workers to cooperate as apposed to compete.

11. Socialism
Robert Owen
Textile entrepreneur who advocated socialist ideas.
Put workers rights and wages into action at New Lanark, Scotland.
Began socialist New Harmony community in Indiana in 1826.
New Harmony failed and he returned to England

12. Socialism
Louis Blanc
Published The Organization of Work (1840) calling for universal manhood suffrage and the creation of a workers party.
The worker’s would eventually control the government and establish socialist workshops, pushing private industries out of business.

13. Karl Marx (1818-1883) Son of an attorney in western Germany
Received his doctorate in philosophy in 1842.
His radical views denied him a place at the conservative universities in Prussia.
In 1844, he moved to Paris and began working with Friedrich Engels.

14. Marxism
In The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital Marx and Engels developed the concepts of scientific socialism.
Ideas on the development of history based on dialectic of Hegel as well as materialism and determinism.
Dialectical materialism states that:
Economic conditions provide basis for social order (structure)
Economic conditions determine the nature of everything else (superstructure)
This expresses itself in different forms throughout history

15. Marxism Class struggle was the basis of change throughout history.
This was repeated throughout history in the dialectical model (thesis in conflict with antithesis = synthesis)
Aristocracy in conflict with bourgeoisie (18th and 19th century revolutions) led to new capitalist order.
In the future, bourgeoisie would be challenged by proletariat (working class) and be overthrown in a new communist society (final phase of history).

16. The Socialist Critique
Utilitarian and especially socialist writers and thinkers began to criticize the assertions of liberal capitalist society, especially in dealing with the condition of workers.
As the century progressed, conservatism became more associated with the aristocracy, liberalism with the bourgeoisie, and socialism with the working class.

17. The Modern Political Continuum
MORE FREEDOM
Utilitarianism/ Progressivism
Classical Liberalism
Socialism
Conservatism
CENTER
MORE EQUAL
LESS EQUAL
LEFT
RIGHT
EXTREME
Marxism/ Communism
Royalist
Stalinism
Fascism
Totalitarianism
LESS FREEDOM