Liberalism · Question
How does Liberalism develop the theme of Equality and Justice?
Answer
Liberalism by L. T. Hobhouse develops Equality and Justice across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Presents equality as a core Liberal principle, closely linked to liberty, arguing that removing artificial barriers and ensuring fair conditions (e.g., through law, economic policy, and women's rights) is essential for genuine freedom.
Liberty implies equality; the demand for impartial law, independent judiciary, and abolition of class privileges is central.
Implicit in the demand for impartial law is the principle of equality; the chapter links liberty to equality before the law and calls for abolition of class privileges.
The struggle for liberty in social and occupational spheres is shown to be a struggle for equality of opportunity, including through free education and the removal of hereditary and artificial barriers.
Evidence in the book
- II: The Elements of Liberalism
Liberty implies equality; the demand for impartial law, independent judiciary, and abolition of class privileges is central.
- I: Civil Liberty
Implicit in the demand for impartial law is the principle of equality; the chapter links liberty to equality before the law and calls for abolition of class privileges.
- Social Liberty
The struggle for liberty in social and occupational spheres is shown to be a struggle for equality of opportunity, including through free education and the removal of hereditary and artificial barriers.
- Economic Liberty
Tariffs are criticized for creating inequality between trades, and the regulation of industry is framed as a movement toward equality through liberty.
- Domestic Liberty
The movement to render wives fully responsible individuals and to establish marriage on a contractual basis illustrates the interdependence of liberty and equality in domestic life.
- Local, Racial, and National Liberty
Discusses the elementary rights of weaker peoples and the insincere use of terms like equality and tutelage, which often mask oppression.
- Economic Liberalism
The text defines economic justice as rendering due to each individual and function, and critiques the vast inequalities perpetuated by inheritance and the current property system.
