The Political Divide In Health Care: A Liberal Perspective | Health Affairs - 0 views
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Classical seventeenth-century liberalism, a response to autocratic monarchies, promoted the freedom of the individual. The concepts of equality and the rule of law were added to classical liberal doctrine in the eighteenth century, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. 1 Eighteenth-century liberalism also advocated a universal humanitarian morality: “It is the goal of morality to substitute peaceful behavior for violence, good faith for fraud and overreaching, considerateness for malice, cooperation for the dog-eat-dog attitude.” 2 These precepts, also in the writings of world religions, are best expressed in the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
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ohn Stuart Mill introduced the utilitarian idea that societies should be responsible to provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. A corollary to this argument was that governments should provide for the overall welfare of the population—a communitarian rather than individualistic strain of liberalism. Liberalism and conservatism went separate ways, with most conservatives advocating that government restrict itself to ensuring individual liberties.
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“Health care” refers to medical services, but not to a healthy state of being. The right to health care is distinct from the right to health.
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