Liberalism Essays (Examples)

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Liberalism as an ideology has a long and complex history in politics as well as philosophy. In essence the liberal tradition refers to a system of thought or ideology which emphasizes the concept of freedom and personal liberty as the purpose of government. This also implies the ability to desist and the right of opposition to established systems and rules and governance which may be seen to infringe on the ethos of freedom that forms the kernel of liberal ideologies.
A simple definition of the idea of the liberal tradition is as follows.

Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government. It typically favors the right to dissent from orthodox tenets or established authorities in political or religious matters.

( Wikipedia: Liberalism)

Liberalism is also defined and understood in contradistinction to other political ideologies such as conservatism and particularly to….

" These metaphors play a powerful role in the history of philosophy, shaping and often distorting our views both of reason, mind, emotion, and body and of men and women. Other important discussions of gendered metaphors in philosophy include Irigaray," whose disucssion of the female sex calls woman the gender that is not one, in other words that the female body physically denies the male, liberal split of self and other. This split is intrinsic to patriarchy, even liberal patriarchy, and denies the ability of women to assert 'the feminine' as writ upon their bodies and souls. Philosophers such as French feminist and deconstructionist Luce Irigaray thus deny the presumption of liberal's use of temrs such as the individual and pre-exisintg and 'obvious' existance rights. (Saul, 2004)
Liberalism rests upon a conception of the self, and "the topic of the self has long been salient in feminist philosophy, for it is….

Liberalism and the modern mind produced a profound effect upon church culture as it was manifested at the turn of the 20th century. The impact of liberalism and many of the concerns of modern man from this epoch also greatly affect the perception of church culture and Christianity today. The effect of liberalism on the church at this time is important, because it occurred when "Western missionary expansion" (Noll, 2012, p. 263) was becoming a global phenomenon. Protestant Liberalism largely arose from the need of Christians to contend with some of the most pressing issues of the late 1800's and early 1900's, which included various aspects of science and history, and zeitgeists such as omanticism. A close look at the various ramifications of these concerns reveals that liberalism and the modern mind ultimately was responsible for a reshaping of values within the Christian Church, in which orthodox principles were readily….


The conservative view -- that of teaching intelligent design, or an alternative to Darwinism, is antithetical to science. In American public schools, religion may be taught about, but not taught. This means, religion may be presented as an historical or philosophical debate, as long as belief systems or spirituality are neither taught nor given predominance by the teacher. The idea of evolution is central to almost every biological and scientific paradigm in contemporary culture, and must be taught in order to students to be well informed. The idea of taking a non-scientific concept and presenting it as science does not make it science, regardless of how it is dressed up (Polkinghorne, 2006).

Indeed, the idea of presenting fairness in a classroom situation is untenable when trying to teach a religious-based concept next to a scientific-based set of principles. When we teach the Civil War, we do not typically teach the point-of-view….


Values

Liberals tend to emphasize individual rights over governmental authority and to leave the economy alone, unless it needs help. More and more, the economy has been controlled by conservative elements and this has tended to squelch free trade and put too many regulations on imports, while allowing special interests avenues of squeezing more revenue out of the citizens by legalizing higher interest rates, putting tariffs on imports, freezing influx of cheap labor even while raising private profits by raising prices (such as for gas) and shipping manufacturing out of the country to where free labor resides.

here conservatives have traditionally believed in the superiority of the ruling class, today in the United States they have concentrated power and money into smaller numbers of people, corporations and bureaus, and the government is used to protect those interests.

Liberals believe in individual rights, and, as it says in the Preamble, to secure these rights,….

In light of the fact that major wars between democratic nations, which are typically trading partners involved in lucrative import/export arrangements, are relatively rare from a historical standpoint, "liberals argue that economic interdependence lowers the likelihood of war by increasing the value of trading over the alternative of aggression ... (as) independent states would rather trade than invade"4 (Copeland, 1996, pg. 5). Unrestrained liberalism has often been touted by proponents as the prudent path to world peace, even as the world inches closer to a state of open conflict, such as through the Wilsonian foreign policy instituted by President Woodrow Wilson prior to World War I, or the Bush doctrine's fallacious notion of instilling democratic ideals in Iraq by virtue of an outright invasion. In fact, many scholars insist that "the human rights movement was built on a Wilsonian platform, insisting that governments make
4 Copeland, Dale C. "Economic interdependence….


F.A. Hayek argued that there can be no freedom of press "if the instruments of printing are under government control, no freedom of assembly if the needed rooms are so controlled, no freedom of movement if the means of transport are a government monopoly" (Liberalism pp).

As Thomas Paine wrote in 'Common Sense,' "Government even in its best state is a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one..." (Sturgis pp). Thomas Jefferson focused on creating an independent citizenry capable of maintaining the democratic republic, and he found his key in the yeoman farmer, believing "that the self-sufficient landowner possessed the ability to cultivate himself and therefore treasure his freedom" (Sturgis pp).

illiam Godwin, author of 'Political Justice' 1798, and hailed by many as the father of English anarchism, blended previous forms of classical liberalism into his belief in "the self-perfectibility of man and the law of progress reflected Enlightenment emphasis….

Virtues and Liberalism
For several decades, many politicians and professors have been promoting the belief that the fate of liberal democracy in America is correlated with the quality of citizens' character (erkowitz, 1999). President George W. ush campaigned as a compassionate conservative, promising to restore honor and dignity to the Presidency. In 1992, former President ill Clinton sought to set a new tone for the Democratic Party, campaigning as a New Democrat -- devoted not only to the protection of individual rights and the promotion of the social and economic bases of equality but also to the principle of personal responsibility. Clinton's campaign was inspired by the ideas of William Galston, a professor of political science and fellow member of the Democratic Leadership Council, whose writings discussed "liberal virtues" and defended the propriety of a liberal state that cultivates qualities of mind and character that form good and decent citizens.

In addition,….


Another section of capitalism needing more study according to scholars in general is; how the Constitution relates to all citizens as a whole in regards to traditions, values and such. Cosmopolitans seek to bridge this gap and then promote it on a larger world scale.

Liberalism

Liberalism is not as tolerant of the world community as many people would be lead to believe. Liberalist view themselves more along the lines of referees to the world's problems and fail to treat all people of the world as equals. In the article, "Human Rights and Cosmopolitan Liberalism," Anthony Langlois states, "liberalism must be egalitarian towards all the conceptions of the good life held by these individuals. Such extension of liberalism's tolerance and egalitarianism would in fact undermine liberalism's core values and render the cosmopolitan project a series of contradictions in terms" (Langlois, Abstract). The view point of liberals reflects the national concept of human….

Therefore, this inequality is just another method of alienating the proletariat from the opportunities provided for the bourgeois. Therefore there should be no difference between natural or gained abilities and the proletariat trait of hard work.
Another major Marxist critique of Rawlsian Liberalism is the idea of choice in each individual's life as a benefiting factor which in turn gives each member of society the potential to earn as much as he or she is capable of based on those individual choices. However, Marx sees this completely differently. Marx believes that every member of the proletariat has only two choices, to work and therefore be exploited, or to not work and essentially starve for lack of compensation. This shows how individuals of the proletariat do not actually have a real choice. If one were to choose to not be exploited, and therefore not work, that person would not be able….

Political Participation1. Three primary agents of political socialization are family, education, and media. Family plays a crucial role in shaping an individual\\\'s political beliefs by providing their initial exposure to political ideas and values. Education exposes individuals to political knowledge, concepts, and ideas. The media disseminates political information. Three secondary agents of political socialization are religion, peer groups, and political leaders. A person\\\'s political opinion can change over time due to changing circumstances, personal experiences, exposure to new information, or a shift in values.2. Political ideology refers to a set of beliefs about the role of government. Libertarianism emphasizes individual liberty and minimal government intervention in economic and social matters. Classical liberalism advocates for limited government intervention. Modern liberalism emphasizes the government\\\'s role in promoting social justice, equality, and individual freedoms. Traditional conservatism emphasizes the importance of preserving traditional values. Modern conservatism emphasizes a strong national defense and free-market capitalism.….

Moreover, they saw religious faith as critical to promoting moral stability in the community (Breslin, 2004). Here we see how federalists adhere in the idea of liberalism by siding with sovereign nation-states where a central type of government is a political strategy. Moreover, Federalists side with the Hobbesian doctrine of liberalism where no religious power should be exercised among people as Anti-Federalists argued that religious faith is crucial is the stability of communities. For Federalists, political rule is the only legitimate rule of power, at least in the socio-political sense.
eferences

Berkowitz, P. (1996). Intellectual History of Classical Liberalism. etrieved from www.dailyrepublican.com/liberalhistory.html. onMarch 12.

Breslin, B. (2004). The Communitarian Constitution. etrieved from www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/lpbr/subpages/reviews/breslin904.htm. onMarch 12.

Moseley, a. (2006). Political Philosophy. etrieved at http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/polphil.htm#SH3aonMarch 12, 2009.

Mount, S. (2007). Constitutional Topic: The Federalists and Anti-Federalists. etrieved at http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_faf.html. onMarch 12, 2009.

New World Encyclopedia. (2008). Age of Enlightenment. etrieved from www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Age_of_EnlightenmentonMarch 12.

Sommerville, J.P. (n.d.) Theories of….


Consistency, coupled by approval generates legitimacy. A government system is only legitimate if it receives the support of plural citizens. Therefore, a good example is Hosni Mubarak's one party, which was illegitimate. Any policy enjoying the majority approval of the citizens is said to be a legitimate policy. In this context, the United States invasion into Iraq has been perceived as illegitimate. This is not because many citizens of Iraq disapproved the policy but also due to the fact that majority of the Arabs recorded substantial support. As the global military utility continues to decline, a country perceived as consistent and legitimate will encounter minimal resistance from the new Arab world while the U.S. continues to execute its policies.

The occurrence of the Second World War is reflected from the relations between the American grand strategy and the initial existence of the realism, constructivism, and liberalism. Moreover, it is evident from….


hile the contemporary society might regard an issue such as one's marriage with the sister of his deceased wife as being absurd, this problem dominated affairs in Great Britain for most of the Victorian era. "The "Deceased ife's Sister" controversy was about the potential for triangular desire: two women as potential rivals for one man and one man desiring two women -- who, moreover, are sisters" (Chambers). Religion was particularly important in this situation, as concerns regarding rivalry between sisters go back to biblical times. The authorities saw this problem as one that would negatively affect the cleanliness of the English family and the individuals who were involved in the controversy claimed that the government should be able to impose moral laws upon British citizens.

The relationship between biological sisters was apparently one of the strongest connections from the Victorian era, thus meaning that a disruption would severely affect individuals and….

("U.S. Names Coalition of the Willing," 2003)
From the Liberal perspective, the Iraq War is considered to be illegal. This is because, the ush Administration failed to seek the support of the international community before conducting an invasion. They felt that if the White House had taken a different approach about Iraq and WMD's (mainly allowing more time for inspectors to confirm / deny the existence of such programs). This would have created a favorable outcome in line with international law. This is important, because it shows a common theme that is often embraced by the Democratic Party and heads of state (i.e. The EU). Where, they would criticize the war and the conduct of these events, by constantly pointing out how these actions are against international law. ("The War on Iraq," 2007)

Which one do you think is more accurate and why?

Neo-Realism is more accurate. The reason why, is because….

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7 Pages
Term Paper

Government

Liberalism as an Ideology Has a Long

Words: 2057
Length: 7 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Liberalism as an ideology has a long and complex history in politics as well as philosophy. In essence the liberal tradition refers to a system of thought or ideology…

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6 Pages
Term Paper

Sports - Women

Liberalism V Feminism Liberalism vs

Words: 2061
Length: 6 Pages
Type: Term Paper

" These metaphors play a powerful role in the history of philosophy, shaping and often distorting our views both of reason, mind, emotion, and body and of men and…

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3 Pages
Essay

Mythology - Religion

Liberalism and the Modern Mind Produced a

Words: 1100
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

Liberalism and the modern mind produced a profound effect upon church culture as it was manifested at the turn of the 20th century. The impact of liberalism and many…

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2 Pages
Essay

Evolution

Liberalism and Conservatism in Contemporary

Words: 926
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Essay

The conservative view -- that of teaching intelligent design, or an alternative to Darwinism, is antithetical to science. In American public schools, religion may be taught about, but not…

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4 Pages
Term Paper

Government

Liberalism libertarianism or Conservatism

Words: 1389
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Values Liberals tend to emphasize individual rights over governmental authority and to leave the economy alone, unless it needs help. More and more, the economy has been controlled by conservative…

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4 Pages
Term Paper

Government

Realism and Liberalism in Foreign

Words: 1269
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Term Paper

In light of the fact that major wars between democratic nations, which are typically trading partners involved in lucrative import/export arrangements, are relatively rare from a historical standpoint,…

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4 Pages
Term Paper

Government

Classic Liberalism There Have Been

Words: 1218
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Term Paper

F.A. Hayek argued that there can be no freedom of press "if the instruments of printing are under government control, no freedom of assembly if the needed rooms are…

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5 Pages
Term Paper

Government

Benefit of Virtue in Liberalism

Words: 1658
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Virtues and Liberalism For several decades, many politicians and professors have been promoting the belief that the fate of liberal democracy in America is correlated with the quality of citizens'…

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3 Pages
A-Level Coursework

Government

Cosmopolitanism and Liberalism in Power

Words: 1457
Length: 3 Pages
Type: A-Level Coursework

Another section of capitalism needing more study according to scholars in general is; how the Constitution relates to all citizens as a whole in regards to traditions, values and…

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3 Pages
Term Paper

Government

Marxist Critique of Rawlsian Liberalism

Words: 912
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Therefore, this inequality is just another method of alienating the proletariat from the opportunities provided for the bourgeois. Therefore there should be no difference between natural or gained…

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2 Pages
Creative Writing

Government

Liberalism Modern Conservatism and Fascism

Words: 649
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Creative Writing

Political Participation1. Three primary agents of political socialization are family, education, and media. Family plays a crucial role in shaping an individual\\\'s political beliefs by providing their initial exposure…

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1 Pages
Essay

Government

Classical Liberalism Central to the

Words: 490
Length: 1 Pages
Type: Essay

Moreover, they saw religious faith as critical to promoting moral stability in the community (Breslin, 2004). Here we see how federalists adhere in the idea of liberalism by…

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4 Pages
Essay

Government

Grand Strategy Liberalism and How

Words: 1893
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Essay

Consistency, coupled by approval generates legitimacy. A government system is only legitimate if it receives the support of plural citizens. Therefore, a good example is Hosni Mubarak's one party,…

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5 Pages
Essay

Family and Marriage

Matthew Arnold British Liberalism and

Words: 1404
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Essay

hile the contemporary society might regard an issue such as one's marriage with the sister of his deceased wife as being absurd, this problem dominated affairs in Great Britain…

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3 Pages
Essay

Drama - World

Neo Realism vs Liberalism Compare

Words: 1073
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

("U.S. Names Coalition of the Willing," 2003) From the Liberal perspective, the Iraq War is considered to be illegal. This is because, the ush Administration failed to seek the…

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