Origins and Core Values of Liberalism

Ever wondered why we value individual rights and democratic elections? It all started when feudalism collapsed and the Age of Enlightenment introduced scientific thinking over religious authority. The French Revolution of 1789 showed the world that ordinary people could overthrow monarchies and create republics based on reason.

Classical liberalism demanded minimal government interference and maximum individual freedom - think of it as "leave me alone to succeed or fail on my own." However, modern liberalism recognised that sometimes the state needs to step in to protect vulnerable people and provide welfare support.

Liberals built their ideology on four core values. Reason gives humans the power to shape their own destiny without paternalistic interference. Individualism celebrates personal choice and self-reliance. Tolerance means accepting opinions you dislike - Voltaire famously said he'd defend to the death your right to say things he detested.

Key insight: Freedom comes in two forms - negative freedom (freedom from restrictions) and positive freedom (freedom to achieve your potential). Modern liberals argue that sometimes you need positive intervention to achieve real freedom.

Liberal Views on Human Nature, Economy, State and Society

Think about what motivates people - are we naturally selfish or can we care about others too? Classical liberals like Locke believed humans are rational and self-interested but still capable of considering others' welfare. They championed egotistical individualism and formal equality - everyone gets the same legal status and opportunities.

Modern liberals take a more nuanced view. They recognise that whilst people can be selfish, they're also capable of sympathy for the less fortunate. This is why they support equality of opportunity and positive freedom - sometimes society needs to actively help people flourish.

On economics, classical liberals worship free-market capitalism with minimal state interference. They believed in Social Darwinism - "survival of the fittest" where people rise or fall based on merit alone. Modern liberals accept some state intervention to tackle poverty and provide welfare, arguing this actually enhances individual freedom.

All liberals agree the state should have limited power because "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." They support social contract theory - we consent to be governed in exchange for protection of our rights. The key difference is that modern liberals see an enabling state as necessary for true equality.

Remember: Classical liberals want a "nightwatchman state" that just maintains order, whilst modern liberals support a welfare state that actively promotes opportunity.

John Locke - The Father of Liberalism

Meet the man who basically invented modern democratic thinking! John Locke attacked the divine right of kings and argued that no one has a natural right to rule over others. His ideas directly influenced the American Constitution and remain relevant today.

Locke imagined humans in a state of nature where everyone would be naturally free, equal and independent. He believed we possess natural rights to life, liberty and property that no government can take away. This was revolutionary thinking in an age of absolute monarchies.

His mechanistic theory suggests humans should create political systems based on reason rather than tradition. The state only exists because we give our consent to be governed through elections. If the government fails to protect our rights, we have the right to remove it - hello, democratic revolution!

Locke championed constitutionalism and separation of powers to prevent abuse of power. He saw the state as a necessary evil that should protect but never interfere unnecessarily. His famous quote captures this perfectly: "The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom."

Why this matters: Every time you vote or complain about government overreach, you're channelling Locke's ideas about consent and limited government power.

Mary Wollstonecraft - Pioneer of Gender Equality

Long before the suffragettes, Mary Wollstonecraft was arguing that "the mind has no gender." As a classical liberal feminist, she extended Enlightenment ideas about reason and equality to include women - a radical concept in the 1790s.

Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in response to the French Revolution, arguing that if men deserved natural rights, so did women. She believed women appeared inferior to men purely because of their poor education, not because of any natural differences in rationality.

Her solution was formal equality - men and women should have identical legal rights and educational opportunities. She argued that educating boys and girls together would benefit all of society by unlocking women's economic and intellectual potential. This would create genuine social progress.

Wollstonecraft supported republicanism over monarchy, believing that aristocratic systems naturally oppressed both women and ordinary people. Her ideas laid the groundwork for every feminist movement that followed, from the suffragettes to modern campaigns for equal pay.

Key quote to remember: "Virtue can only flourish among equals" - Wollstonecraft believed society couldn't reach its full potential whilst half the population was denied opportunities.

John Stuart Mill - The Bridge Between Old and New

John Stuart Mill lived through massive social changes and helped liberalism evolve from its classical roots into something more modern. His ideas about individual freedom and democracy still shape political debates today, especially around free speech and government intervention.

Mill feared the tyranny of the majority - what happens when democratic societies crush individual expression? He wanted educated representatives making decisions rather than pure mob rule. This tension between democracy and individual rights remains relevant in our social media age.

His famous harm principle provides a simple test for government action: individual liberty should only be restricted to prevent harm to others. Self-regarding actions (like drinking alcohol) should remain private choices, whilst other-regarding actions $like drink-driving$ can be regulated by law.

Mill distinguished between negative freedom (absence of restraint) and the need for people to develop their unique potential. He bridged classical and modern liberalism by arguing that some government action might actually enhance individual freedom rather than restrict it.

Think about it: Every time you debate whether the government should ban smoking, regulate social media, or require seatbelts, you're grappling with Mill's harm principle.

John Rawls - Justice as Fairness

What would society look like if you designed it without knowing whether you'd be born rich or poor, male or female, healthy or disabled? John Rawls used this thought experiment called the veil of ignorance to develop his groundbreaking theory of justice.

Rawls argued that rational people behind this veil would choose a society with fair equality of opportunity and support for the most disadvantaged. Why? Because avoiding poverty matters more than gaining extreme wealth - you'd want insurance against ending up at the bottom.

His difference principle allows inequality only when it benefits society's worst-off members. So a CEO earning millions is acceptable if those high salaries incentivise innovation that creates jobs and tax revenue for redistribution. It's not about making everyone equal, but making inequality work for everyone.

Rawls championed an enabling state that actively promotes social welfare through progressive taxation and public services. He believed foundational equality (we're all born with equal moral worth) requires positive action to become meaningful in practice.

Real-world application: Rawls' ideas influence debates about universal healthcare, progressive taxation, and minimum wage policies - all attempts to ensure everyone's life is worth living.

Betty Friedan - The Problem That Has No Name

Picture this: it's the 1960s and millions of educated women are stuck at home, wondering "Is this all?" Betty Friedan gave voice to this frustration and launched the second wave of feminism with her book The Feminine Mystique.

Friedan identified "the problem that has no name" - the suffocating reality of women trapped by domestic expectations despite having won the right to vote. She argued that foundational equality (basic legal rights) hadn't solved gender inequality because social structures still limited women's choices.

As a modern liberal feminist, she championed positive freedom - the idea that real liberation requires changing institutions, not just laws. Women needed access to education, employment, childcare, and reproductive rights to achieve genuine equality of opportunity.

Friedan founded the National Organisation for Women (NOW) and organised the Women's Strike for Equality. She lobbied successfully for the Equal Pay Act and fought for maternity leave rights. Her approach combined individual empowerment with collective action for systemic change.

Her lasting impact: Every time women balance careers and family life, or challenge workplace discrimination, they're building on Friedan's vision of liberation through education and employment.