Liberalism as an ideology has a long and complex history in politics as well as philosophy. In essence the liberal tradition refers to a system of thought or ideology which emphasizes the concept of freedom and personal liberty as the purpose of government. This also implies the ability to desist and the right of opposition to established systems and rules and governance which may be seen to infringe on the ethos of freedom that forms the kernel of liberal ideologies.
A simple definition of the idea of the liberal tradition is as follows.
Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government. It typically favors the right to dissent from orthodox tenets or established authorities in political or religious matters.
( Wikipedia: Liberalism)
Liberalism is also defined and understood in contradistinction to other political ideologies such as conservatism and particularly to totalitarianism, which represent the antithesis of liberal freedom. The term liberal stems from the Latin "liber" or "free," and this emphasizes the liberal ideal of being free from the rules and tenet of authority
The tradition if liberalism has undergone numerous mutations and developments in political history. The origins of liberalism can be traced to the ideals of the Enlightenment in Europe. This strain of liberal thought can also be seen to emerge in the philosophy and actions of the French revolution and European revolutions in the Nineteenth century.
Two central elements of liberal ideology stand out in history. The first is the desire for freedom of thought and action and the second is the need to oppose what is considered to be reactionary and antiquated traditions that would retard the dimension of freedom.
Liberalism was the intellectual haven of the new commercial class that wanted freedom to change the old social order. It provided guidance in moral, political, and economic spheres. ... The concept of freedom is at the heart of the liberal ideology. Originally, to be free was not to be a slave. It still means that one has legal, guaranteed control over what one does. One is neither prevented from doing what one wants nor forced to do what one does not want.
(Jackson and Jackson 1997, p.155)
The central reason why the liberal ideology has proven to be one of the most successful political ideological traditions in history is that it holds the principle of freedom and individual expression as its central focus. This paper will argue that the reason for the success of this ideology is that throughout the various incarnations of liberalism, the motivating focus has been on freedom and the betterment of the human condition, with the concomitant desire to react against outmoded and authoritarian regimes. The following discussion will present an overview of the development of the liberal ideal as it related to this emphasis on freedom and human advancement.
2. Different concepts of liberalism
The history of liberalism is characterized by striving towards freedom and by a mood of defiance against those elements which would obstruct the natural development of there individual and society. The Enlightenment and the belief in rationalism in European thought in the nineteenth century was one of the precursors of constructivist liberalism.
This was an ideology that was based on the belief in reason and the rational or scientific approach to life and society. It was a mode of thought opposed to ancient traditions of law and political governance, such as the idea of Kingship, which could not be proven or substantiated through rational discourse. These ideals can be found in the works of thinkers like Rene Descartes and Voltaire. They believed that society should be completely restructured in terms of reason and in the belief in the rational proof of all things.
This was also a reaction against an authoritarian and rigid past history of political rule in Europe. This form of liberalism was also espoused by thinkers like Thomas Hobbes in Great Britain. Continental or constructivist liberalism was more than just a political doctrine, but was rather a social mood and ethos which was to dominate liberal movements in later years.
The core of this movement, unlike the British tradition, was not so much a definite political doctrine as a general mental attitude, a demand for an emancipation from all prejudice and all beliefs which could not be rationally justified, and for an escape from the authority of 'priests and kings'. Its best expression is probably B. de Spinoza's statement that 'he is a free man who lives according to the dictates of reason...
" These metaphors play a powerful role in the history of philosophy, shaping and often distorting our views both of reason, mind, emotion, and body and of men and women. Other important discussions of gendered metaphors in philosophy include Irigaray," whose disucssion of the female sex calls woman the gender that is not one, in other words that the female body physically denies the male, liberal split of self and
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Ideology in France 1848-1849: Reflections on Nationalism and Liberalism The ideology adopted in France between 1848-1849 has been described in many different ways by historians and theorists. The predominant body of research available however suggests that a liberal and nationalistic ideology reigned supreme during this time, where the middle class became much more influential. The idealisms of the romantic era are also evident in France during this period of time, and
In light of the fact that major wars between democratic nations, which are typically trading partners involved in lucrative import/export arrangements, are relatively rare from a historical standpoint, "liberals argue that economic interdependence lowers the likelihood of war by increasing the value of trading over the alternative of aggression ... (as) independent states would rather trade than invade"4 (Copeland, 1996, pg. 5). Unrestrained liberalism has often been touted by
This includes previously mentioned measures such as increased governmental spending, directing funds towards education and health sectors etc. Referring to Liberalism, we should first of all point out that liberalism does not necessarily limit its perceptions only to economic equality, as is the case with Socialism, but it extends its beliefs to the sector of civil and individual equality. This means that liberalism has always found itself as a promoter
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