31/12/2025
Liberalism is a political philosophy that values individual liberty, rights, the rule of law and formal equality under a neutral state.
With a liberal lens:
- Individuals are the basic units of society, not relationships, communities or collectives
- Rights are viewed as legal protections on paper, rather than embedded in social relationships or lived realities
- “Social justice” is pursued via policies, reforms, markets and institutions instead of addressing power structures
Why tf am I sharing a post about liberalism?
Liberalism teaches us:
- Individuals are responsible for their health outcomes, even when structural barriers make that unrealistic
- Rights matter, but in practice they’re meaningless without support and safety
- Harm is thought of as a problem of markets, law or policy rather than being rooted in power relations
So in healthcare, we’re taught:
- Health is an individual’s responsibility, even when we know that social determinants shape outcomes
- Shared decision making, informed consent and patient-led goals are viewed as genuine, despite unequal power dynamics
- There’s language of “equity” and cultural competence, but without meaningful redistribution of resources or power
How liberalism fails care:
- Individualises structural problems
Leads well-meaning health workers to blame patients instead of seeking to address underlying issues and structures causing and perpetuating the problem
- Hides power e.g. state, economic, racial
Liberal frameworks try to manage harm instead of transforming the conditions that cause harm
