Libertarianism and Liberalism. In Your Comparison, Include

¶ … libertarianism and liberalism. In your comparison, include a description of how each concept is related to ethics.

Libertarianism vs. liberalism

Liberalism is the foundation of the American political system. The philosophies of John Locke, John Stewart Mill, Rousseau and other political philosophers who maintained liberty to be inherent to the human condition inspired the Founding Fathers. Although the need for individual liberty might seem 'self-evident' in the minds of most Americans today, in the 18th century the notion of the divine right of kings to exercise authority over their subjects was still profoundly influential. Liberals believe that restrictions on liberty must be justified and citizens have the right to autonomy. During the 18th century, the ability of private citizens to exercise authority over private property formed the core of the classical, liberal concept of the right to life, liberty, and property. In the modern political discourse, libertarians who advocate minimal government intervention in all spheres of human life often use the words of classical liberals to justify their positions. "Classical liberals and libertarians have often asserted that in some way liberty and property are really the same thing; it has been argued, for example, that all rights, including liberty rights, are forms of property; others have maintained that property is itself a form of freedom" (Gaus & Courtland 2011).

However, liberalism as a philosophy has shifted, changed, and grown more internally divisive over the years. New liberalism, what we are more inclined to think of liberalism today, "challenges this intimate connection between personal liberty and a private property-based market order" (Gaus & Courtland 2011). In classical liberalism, the invisible hand of the market (versus the hand of the sovereign) was thought to be the most just way to allocate resources, but new liberals believe that in post-industrial society, the marketplace reinforces inequalities rather than levels them. New liberals have greater faith in the ability of government to regulate human life, specifically to enforce principles of social justice. Critics of new liberalism contend that inevitably attempts at market controls infringe upon personal liberties. The confusion over what constitutes 'liberalism' and the ongoing debate between classical and new liberals, as well as libertarians who claim the mantel of true liberalism highlights the uncertain nature of what is meant by 'liberty' in general and the importance of positive vs. negative liberties.