Liberalism is an attitude or philosophy that places a heavy emphasis on freedom, equality, and opportunity. In most cases, it also involves an openness to change and a desire to seek new solutions to problems. Many liberal beliefs are considered progressive because they seek to create progress through reform. Liberalism differs from conservatism, which places a greater emphasis on tradition, order, and security.
The exact meaning of liberalism varies with time, place, and circumstance, and with who is using the term. The term can apply to government, social behavior, religion, economics, or other areas. It can refer to a set of personal values or to a system of political beliefs. Ideas regarded as liberal in some cultures may not be considered liberal in others.
Many political parties practice a generally liberal approach to government. In the United States, for instance, the Democratic Party promotes many elements of liberalism. Other such parties include the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom, and the Liberal Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party in Canada. Members of a government or society who hold strongly liberal views are sometimes called the left wing. People with strongly conservative views form the right wing. Those in the middle are known as the center, or moderates.
Features of liberalism.
Liberalism stresses equality and freedom in social affairs. In the United States and many other democracies, liberals typically support abortion rights and the equal treatment of women and men. Many liberals believe that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights—including the right to marry—as heterosexual couples. Some liberal beliefs contradict traditional teachings of many religions. As a result, liberalism is sometimes associated with secularism—that is, the belief in separating politics from religion.
Most liberals support government programs that seek to provide economic security, ease human suffering, and reduce inequalities in society. They believe that programs to help the poor can be fully or partly financed by taxes on people with higher incomes. Liberals embrace cultural diversity and seek to protect the rights of minority groups. Many support affirmative action policies—that is, policies in employment, education, and other areas that aim to counteract past discrimination by giving special help to members of disadvantaged groups.
Many liberals believe that the government should regulate industry to ensure safe working conditions and to limit environmental pollution. Many liberals also favor unemployment benefits, minimum-wage laws, and government-funded health insurance.
In many countries, including much of Europe, the term liberalism has a different meaning when applied to economics. The ideas of economic liberalism, developed by the Scottish economist Adam Smith, favor minimum government regulation of economic affairs. However, these ideas are usually not regarded as liberalism in the United States. To distinguish economic liberalism from other forms of liberalism, many people call Smith’s ideas classical economics.
History.
The right to rebel against a government that restricts personal freedom was a central feature of early liberalism. Liberal ideas inspired England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688, the Revolutionary War in America (1775-1783), and the French Revolution (1789-1799). The English philosopher John Locke contributed greatly to the development of liberalism. Locke’s ideas strongly influenced the American leader Thomas Jefferson in the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
Early liberalism stressed the need to eliminate unjust, unreasonable, and unnecessary restrictions on conduct. But liberal thought underwent a change of emphasis after 1900. Many people began to argue that freedom required more than just the absence of restrictions. True freedom, they argued, required access to food, shelter, and employment, and the ability to pursue a chosen way of life. As a result, many people began to regard equality of opportunity as a necessary condition of liberty. Thus, liberals began to favor government restrictions and regulations when they were intended to bring about more equality. Today, liberals usually emphasize liberty over tradition in social issues, but equality over liberty in economic matters.
