On Hobhouse's New Liberalism

In the list of famous liberals in British, L .T .Hobhouse is not shining brilliantly. However, his book"liberal"with a unique insights and fresh forces left a deep impression on world people. He is the main representative of new liberalism in theory. Aimed at the social problems which caused by the implementation of laissez-faire, he put forward some new proposals which were different from traditional liberalism. This paper discusses his thinking from five aspects: harmonic thinking, freedom, national concept, free socialism ideology, evaluation.The first part deals with Hobhouse's harmonic thinking. Harmonic thinking was put toward aiming at the individualism, and it was at the center of his entire thinking. He believed individuals and the community, parts and the whole were depended and helpful to each other. The relationship between them was harmonious. He considered that the realization of a harmonious society as an ideal. This part summarized its contents from: the common feelings, and encourage the development of personality, the differences from suppression and people's cooperation. However, for the realization of harmony, Hobhouse thought it is not possible to achieve, and he just assumed a moral harmony. He also opposed the idea of"nature harmony".The second part of the paper discusses Hobhouse's freedom, and analyzes from three aspects. The first is the inheritance and development of traditional liberalism. He fully endorsed the role of traditional liberalism.He thought it was mainly against the old regime, but was lack of advocacing new order. Aimed at the social problems facing the United Kingdom, and on the basis of social liberaty, Hobhouse criticized the laissez faire accurately from describing the relationship between freedom and its restrictions .The second and the third aspects are the relationship between freedom and law, freedom and equality.The third part discusses his national concept from the state's emergence, the relationship between the individual ,the state's functions Hobhouse considered the state's emergence as a process of historical evolutionary, In modern times, it was when citizens achieved the rights and freedom that the state emerged. But he had an abstract spiritual and moral strength as the basis. He thought the relationship between the individual and the state was harmonious. The state was responsible for individuals and the state. The state not need protect the freedom of the individual's mental aspects, but also need play an active role to enhance the functions of intervention. On the other hand, individuals have obligations to state, and the relationship between the two was responsible to each other. Because the state must play an active role in social development, it involves the responsibility of the State. Hobhouse explained the duties of the state from"economic justice"and"economic sovereignty". This paper summarizes three aspects: state should protect the safety of life and property, the individual's right to work and the public utilities that individuals was not able to run.The fourth part is the goal of Hobhouse's thinking. He put forward his"free socialism"after a series of discussion. This paper discusses the view of Hobhouse from the two aspects: his understanding about the relationship between liberalism and socialism, the implementation of the"free socialism". Infected by the establishment of the Labor Party and widespread of socialism, he believes liberalism and socialism was not in conflict with each other, but complemented each other. At the same time, the Liberal Party and the Labor Party could cooperate mutually. He also advocated to establish a new and taking a middle road's party which construed by the progressive and non-dogmatic members who come from the Liberal Party and Labor Party. But for Fabian socialism and Marxism, Hobhouse had consistently opposed. In implementing the"free socialism", I have a summary of three aspects of the efforts to maintain and expand democracy, strengthening state intervention and the implementation of a mixed economy, the development of welfare services.The fifth is the evaluation of his ideas. Just like the conclusion, we mainly discuss it from the international and domestic situation which by the United Kingdom was facing. In the international aspects was the loss of the British"world factory". Domestically was mainly a series of social problems which were caused by the introduction of laissez-faire. As for laissez-faire ideology Hobhouse made a substantial revision to the laissez-faire ideology of liberalism and reflect its position to attempt to reconcile, to meet the needs of strengthening the state hold by political monopoly capitalist class ,meanwhile, reflect the purpose that bourgeois liberals need to protect and expand the rights and freedom. His thinking is liberalism in essence. But in the late 1980s, The plight of the welfare state and the rise of"neo-liberalism", particularly the European Social Democracy suffered a very serious crisis again proved that the Hobhouse's thinking of social harmony can not come true with the conditions neither remove the capitalist ownership, nor negotiate the struggle of the capitalist class.