Page "Classical liberalism" Paragraph 36

Classical liberals saw utility as the foundation for public policies.

This broke both with conservative " tradition " and Lockean " natural rights ", which were seen as irrational.

Utility, which emphasises the happiness of individuals, became the central ethical value of all liberalism.

Although utilitarianism inspired wide-ranging reforms, it became primarily a justification for laissez-faire economics.

However, classical liberals rejected Adam Smith's belief that the " invisible hand " would lead to general benefits and embraced Thomas Malthus ' view that population expansion would prevent any general benefit and David Ricardo's view of the inevitability of class conflict.

Laissez-faire was seen as the only possible economic approach, and any government intervention was seen as useless.

The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 was defended on " scientific or economic principals " while the authors of the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 were seen as not having had the benefit of reading Malthus.

The anti-slavery views of numerous classical liberal economists, such as J. S.

Mill, led to Carlyle calling economics the dismal science.