Title: Act first, ask questions later: the cognitive-behavioural implications of the liberal model of freedom

Authors: Rosamund Stock

Addresses: Institute of Social Psychology, London School of Economics, LSE, Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE, UK

Abstract: Recent events in the Gulf of Mexico have revealed that major oil companies were not prepared for what happened. Their preparations suggest a ||do first, worry about it afterwards|| attitude. Schemas are cognitive structures which have strong, often unconscious, effects on thought, behaviour and group functioning. The writings of John Stuart Mill are taken as a significant source for our cultural tradition of liberalism and the model is considered in the light of knowledge about schemas. It is suggested the limited causal schema implied in Mill|s writings informs a model of individual freedom that no longer works for a large scale interconnected society and that for the sake of those who may be harmed by the actions of others we must begin to articulate a new one.

Keywords: liberal model; individual freedom; cognitive implications; behavioural implications; liberalism; John Stuart Mill; green economics; interconnected societies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGE.2011.039727

International Journal of Green Economics, 2011 Vol.5 No.1, pp.41 - 48

Published online: 16 Oct 2014 *

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