Final answer:
The primary concern in the text is the balance between liberty and equality, focusing on economic inequality and the protection and limits of individual and property rights. Highlighted issues include freedom of movement, government roles, freedom of speech, and social ownership production as responses to inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary concern expressed in the text is the tension between liberty and equality, specifically in the context of economic inequality and the relationship between the rights to freedom of speech, property ownership, and the pursuit of happiness. Laws that restrict access to private property, such as natural areas, impinge on freedom of movement. The ideological standpoint argued in some parts of the text is that government functions should include maintaining social order and protecting individual rights including property rights, thus allowing individuals to engage in economic transactions within a legal framework that supports fair treatment and dispute resolution. However, this notion often comes into conflict with notions of equality, as not everyone has the same amount of wealth, raising the question of how to balance the right to property with economic equality.
When countries have laws that restrict access to private property, the civil liberty being limited is primarily freedom of movement. The text references the four main purposes of government proposed by functionalism, which notably does not include equally distributing resources as a government function; rather, it includes maintaining law and order, meeting social needs, and planning and directing society.
Regarding the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the right to an education is not included, while the right to freedom of speech is explicitly protected. Finally, philosophers in the 19th century who addressed the problem of poverty and inequality often proposed social ownership of the means of production as a common solution.