The Origins of Liberalism

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The Origins of Liberalism
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• The word liberal comes from the Latin liber,
  meaning free
• The word Liberal to describe a way of thinking
  was first used during in Spain during the
  Napoleonic Wars (think about the motto of the
  French Revolution)
• Liberalism is a left wing philosophy because
  advocates favour the reform of government
• Liberalism is associated with being open-minded
  and supporting freedom of speech and freedom
  within actions

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The Four Basic Principles of Liberalism
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1. Personal Freedom

• refers to the absence of coercion (force) and
  includes free speech, religious liberty, the
  right to private property, and the right to
  political opposition

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2. Equality of Right

• all must abide by the same laws, which the
  government enforces with impartiality
• Similar to belief in the Rule of Law as created
  in the Magna Carta

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3. Limited government

• means that the state (government) is an
  instrument serving a function in society and not
  in general charge of ALL society
• The government is there to prevent people from
  hurting each other through force and fraud

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4. Consent of the governed

• Government is responsible to people and may be
  changed by them

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Classical Liberalism

• John Locke, an English philosopher was the first
  to argue that individuals had innate rights of
  life, liberty and property
• Social Contract Government comes about through
  the agreement of free individuals that their
  rights are best protected by associating with one
  another
• If the Contract was broken the people have the
  right to rebel

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More Locke

• Lockes ideas justified the Glorious Revolution
  in Britain in 1688, the American Revolution of
  1776 and the French Revolution of 1789
• The purpose of government is basically to protect
  the people in their life, health, liberty, or
  possessions.
• Locke believed that people should have a private
  sphere that the government could not interfere
  with religion in particular the state should
  be tolerant of all religions

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American Declaration of Independence

• Lets take a look at Schoolhouse Rock to learn
  about the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration
  of Independence of 1776
• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
  all men are created equal, that they are endowed
  by their creator with certain unalienable rights
  that among these are life, liberty and the
  pursuit of happiness that to secure these rights
  governments are instituted by men, deriving their
  just powers from the consent of the governed

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French Revolution and the Declaration of the
Rights of Man

• The National Assembly also took to Lockes ideas
  and put those very ideas into their Declaration
  of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• The end of all political associations is the
  preservation of the natural and imprescriptible
  rights of man and these rights are liberty,
  property, security, and the resistance of
  oppression.
• Portrays the idea called Rule of Law.

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John Stuart Mill

• John Start Mill put together many themes on
  liberalism in his book entitled On Liberty.
• His ideas impacted many people throughout
  history. Lets hear what Teddy Roosevelt said
  about liberty.
• Here is a quote from Mill about liberty and the
  use of power. The only purpose for which power
  can be rightfully exercised over any member of a
  civilized community, against his will, is to
  prevent harm to others.

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Classical Liberalism in Economics

• Classical liberalism is identified in the economy
  as a free market economy
• The ideas a free market economy were brought to
  life by Adam Smith
• Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations
• Adam Smith wrote about the Invisible Hand this
  implies that human needs are best served by free
  competition in the marketplace along the same
  ideas as liberalism

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Aboriginal Contributions to Liberalism

• It has been argued that many of the principles of
  liberalism originated in traditional Aboriginal
  societies.
• In Canada, our Aboriginal communities use liberal
  ideas such as elected leaders, government by
  consensus, leadership on the basis of merit, just
  punishment, and concepts of equality and equality
  before the law.

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Great Law of Peace

• The Great Law of Peace provided the Haudenosaunee
  peoples with a constitution that dates back to
  the 15th century.
• The Great Binding Law, as it sometimes is
  referred to, has three main principles
  righteousness, health and power all
  characteristics of liberalism.

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Liberalism in Canada

• In 1982 the Canadian Charter of Rights and
  Freedoms advanced the liberal cause by
  entrenching into the Canadian Constitution
  (Canada Act) both basic liberties and new
  linguistic (language) rights for minorities.
• The purpose of the Charter was to entrench (dig
  in) rights, especially language rights, where no
  government could ever take them away.
• With the Charter as a shield a single citizen can
  achieve Lockes vision of a society in which
  rights take precedence over authority.

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Liberalism Today

• Liberals today generally believe today that every
  individual is unique. The purpose of life is to
  realize that potential, and to become whatever it
  is one is capable of becoming.

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• The role of the state (government) is to produce
  the conditions under which individuals have the
  broadest possible choice in deciding upon their
  definition of good.

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• Society, meanwhile, should celebrate this
  diversity while giving equal treatment to all,
  regardless of a persons origins, colour, sex or
  status in life.

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• In exchange for this respect, the individual must
  acknowledge responsibility for his own fortunes
  and for the fortunes of the community.