Liberal View on The State

Liberal View of The State 

Liberal view of the state:

• Liberals believe a state needed to arbitrate between clashes of intereast between individuals 
• State should act as a kind of referee between individuals 
• Rejected traditional, monarchial state or any authoritarian state
• Argue states must have the consent of the governed if it is to exist effectively
• Argue state would have to promote natural rights for it to exist 
• Would also have to promote tolerance, Voltaire: I detest what you say but i will defend to the death your right to say it. Also wanted tolerance to religous bodies 
• Later developed by JS Mill who argued all opinions should be tolerated unless…