Hello
I am doing some reading in the field of neo-liberalism and stumbled across the terms welfare liberalism. When trying to find definitions I came across the term social liberalism. Please excuse my ignorance but are there any recommendations for papers/chapters explaining the terms?
Thanks
Susan
Dear Susan,
The book “HAYEK AND AFTER: Hayekian liberalism as a research programme” by Jeremy Shearmur, Routledge, 1996 has some answers to your question. Various concepts of liberalism are discussed, and p. 179 talks about “classical—as opposed to welfare—liberalism.”
Hi Susan in my opinion there is an interrelation between the terms. Welfare liberalism is part of social liberalism. The latter is a more general notion that is even more rhetorical in the discursive sense, especially when it is a politician who expresses it. In the late 1980s and early 1990s in some Latin American countries, the term social liberalism was used as a kind of euphemism to refer (or justify) to neoliberal economic policies. In the academic field, welfare liberalism refers to the idea of the role of the market complemented by that of the State as a guarantor of access to adequate levels of health, education, and social assistance.
Best regards!
I would run away of such concepts and any attempt of defining them: e.g., almost nobody identify himself as a neoliberal. In practise, these short of terms are using as a strawman.
Hello Susan Reid Elder
I am not sure if I am reaching and drawing a comparison of your research on neoliberalism but when you refer to welfare or social liberalism, it reminded me of Jürgen Habermas and his book Legitimation Crisis. In this he describes certain characteristics of what he refers to as advanced stage capitalism and I find a tie in that neoliberalism came about, in my opinion, from the continued disfunction of the state which leads to the private sector taking the reigns and the state just maintaining the grip it has on society as a whole. Habermas's advance stage capitalism, to me, almost describes the foundation from which neoliberalism was and is supported.
Hopefully this helps and I'm not too far off from what you're looking for!
Social liberalism is a political ideology that advocates for social justice and individual rights. It is often associated with progressive policies such as universal healthcare, public education, and social welfare programs. Neoliberalism, on the other hand, is an economic philosophy that emphasizes free-market capitalism and limited government intervention in the economy. The relationship between social liberalism and neoliberalism is complex. Some argue that social liberalism can be compatible with neoliberalism if it is focused on individual rights rather than collective welfare. Others argue that social liberalism is incompatible with neoliberalism because it requires government intervention to ensure social justice and equality.
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