Classic Liberalism

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the fundamental liberal principle states that freedom is normatively basic; therefore, any political authority and law must be justified because they limit the liberty of citizens. The social contract theory, as developed by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant, is generally viewed as liberal. The author points out that the classical liberals believe that private property is the only effective means for the protection of liberty, which results from a free market economy based on private property and protects the liberty of subjects against encroachments by the state. The paper relates that John Stuart Mill, 1806-1873, is the single best example of classical liberalism, representing the crossroads of English, French, and German strains of thought by warning against the tyranny of opinion, which silences other voices, calling for a form of intellectual tolerance and advocating the limitation of the state.

From the Paper:

"Liberalism as a political tradition, a political philosophy and a general philosophical theory encompasses a theory of value, conception of the person and a moral theory as well as a political philosophy. Liberalism, as a political tradition, has varied in different countries. In England, it has centered on "religious toleration, government by consent, personal and, especially, economic freedom," while in France, it has been closely associated with secularism and democracy. "In the United States liberals often combine a devotion to personal liberty with an antipathy to capitalism, while the liberalism of Australia tends to be much more sympathetic to capitalism but often less enthusiastic about civil liberties."

More papers on Classic Liberalism:

• Essay # 23534 : "Classic Liberalism Tradition"
• Analytical Essay # 130369 : "Classical Liberalism and Ideology"
• Analytical Essay # 136049 : "Equality and Classical Liberalism"

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