ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors look at the gradual emergence of the concept of the liberal, democratic state, developed through the philosophies of Hobbes, Locke, Bentham, Mill and others. Although they argues that the state, acting alone, cannot guarantee environmental quality, the state is first and foremost the provider, or guarantor, of public goods, by direct provision or by regulation, which is a form of coercive social control. The evolution from liberalism to liberal democracy initiates an important theme in Western political ideas. The imperative of sustainable development suggests some new role in planning for the state, one substantially different from past experiences of state planning. Consideration of the tension between individual freedoms and the social control required for sustainable development can profitably begin with a brief history of changing views of the role of the state. Conversely, sustainable development is probably impossible under conditions of excessive individualism.
