Title: In Praise of Liberalism: An Assessment of Liberal Political Thought from the 17th Century to Today
Abstract: ABSTRACT.The author of this essay maintains that has been the primary source of progressive change in the United States since its earliest history. To support his claim, he traces the philosophical and political history of in England and the United States. The specific forms of have varied in different periods of history; but, he maintains, there is an underlying spirit of that has persisted throughout the past 350 years and can be the source of dynamic progressive social change in the 21st century. Throughout history, he maintains, has been committed to social progress and has sought to improve the lives of populations that are economically and politically disadvantaged. This underlying spirit, the author argues, can be the source for an energized liberal agenda for the 21st century.Keywords: liberalism; political philosophy; political history1. IntroductionConservative - and even centrist - opponents of reject it because they identify it with cumbersome government; reckless spending; high taxation; naivete about economics, crime, and world power; and lack of moral values. What a mistake!In fact, has been the source of social and political progress in the Western world since the 17lh century. The idea that rights set a limit on the legitimate power of government is a liberal idea. The idea that government must respect the liberty of individuals is a liberal idea. The idea that religious groups should be tolerant of each other is a liberal idea. Modern democracy is an outgrowth of these ideas. Capitalism is a liberal idea. Building a government strong enough to be a countervailing power to wealth to protect workers, consumers, and the environment from excesses driven by the profit motive is a liberal idea. The belief that all people in an economically successful nation should have the opportunity to lead a decent life is also a liberal idea. The belief that society should assure the security of children, old people, disabled people, and people out of work for reasons not of their own doing is a liberal idea. Civil rights is a liberal idea. Limiting the intervention of government into our private lives is a liberal idea. The universality of human rights is a liberal idea. Addressing global poverty is a liberal idea.These important contributions to human history may seem not entirely consistent, and they are not. What makes them liberal ideas is not that they cohere in a logically consistent and comprehensive theory of but that they reflect an underlying spirit of - a determination to improve the lives of human beings who at a particular moment in history do not fare well. This spirit, this commitment to the well-being of all people, has given the vitality and adaptive capacity to lead social progress over the past three centuries.The idea that has an underlying spirit, that it has underlying values that have endured through changes in the specific forms has taken at different times, is not original. I first came across it in John Dewey's book Liberalism and Social Action (Dewey, 1935). Dewey observed that both he and John Stuart Mill were liberals but that he believed in the necessity of strong government, including strong governmental intervention in the economy, while John Stuart Mill was a free market capitalist. Had the word liberalism simply been distorted as it traversed the century from Mill to Dewey or was there something that the two of them had in common which was more important than their difference about the best economic system?Dewey answered that there were three enduring values that he shared with Mill and that found their roots in John Locke and the makers of the American Revolution - liberty, individuality, and a commitment to intelligent social action. He argued further that the specific forms these values took had had to change over time as we came to understand more about the social conditions necessary to foster liberty and individuality. …
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot