Classical Liberal vs. Contemporary Liberals

Topic: “Classical liberal and contemporary liberals (as represented in the class readings) differ in their views regarding the basic resources government must provide to insure that people can exercise their basic freedom to participate in the political system.”

To address this topic:

1) Describe the key differences between the classic and contemporary liberal views of the resources government must provide to insure the basic freedom of citizens.

2) Explain how the above differences reflect classical vs. contemporary liberal understandings of human nature and society. How does this impact how each kind of liberalism understands what political liberty is and what it requires.

3) Illustrate the difference between classical and contemporary liberalism by considering the how each kind of liberal would address the question of affirmative action.