Pros Of Conservatism
Liberalism is a uniquely modern idea supporting the thesis that human beings have inherent rights given to them by the universe and their governments. This modern idea also holds that as human beings there also exists the right to free trade in whatever goods available and with whom it is so desired. While the modern era gave rise to some of the greatest ideas and ideals in history, at the root of most of them was liberalism. Liberalism supports equality, human rights, and free trade which can be found in ideals of the Enlightenment, the civil rights movements across the globe, and human rights campaigns throughout time. Liberalism is a political ideology first and foremost. It developed during the nineteenth century as a direct result of the Industrial Revolution and the ideals of the Enlightenment. (Getz & Brooke, 2012) Liberalism is based upon the idea that individuals all deserve certain freedoms that should be guaranteed to them by their government and is also based on certain economic freedoms. The ideals that would become liberalism were introduced to the world by great thinkers like John Locke, Adam Smith, Jean Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbs. These ideals began with the Enlightenment, a time in
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history when reason and intellect were treasured. The Enlightenment also upheld ideas of individuality and freedom from the oppression of illiteracy and inequality that had plagued citizens of empires. The Industrial Revolution further enhanced these ideals by giving people the ability to quickly and efficiently produce mass publication of pamphlets and other documents encouraging literacy and equality. John Locke is often considered the originator of liberalism in the classical sense.
Locke is the philosopher who posited the idea of a social contract existing between the government and the governed, stating that the government can only govern so long as the people allow it to in that said government has only the power that the people willingly bestow. (Getz & Brooke, 2012) Should such a time ensue as the government oversteps its bounds the people then have an obligation to do away with that government and begin anew. Locke brought about this social contract after realizing how poorly the poor were fairing under an absolute rule government with an elite minority also presiding over the poor in the form of the
aristocracy. While many focus on the social equality that is inherent in liberalism, it is also important to focus on the economics of liberalism. Liberalism is quite the friend of capitalism holding that people have the right to equal opportunity, if not equal condition. This form of economics favors a self-regulating economy with government having a much smaller role that was previously thought to be necessary. The self-regulations of the economy and the laissez-faire attitude that was requested by liberalism allowed people to sell their goods and their services to whom they choose and for an amount of their choosing providing of course that said goods and services are not in competition with the welfare of society. Though John Locke was considered the founder of liberalism, economist Adam Smith took an active interest in the role of laborers played within society and the economy. As an economist interest in the wealth of nations and a man intent on equality for the laborers he offered this insight:
“Every man is rich or poor according to the degree in which he can afford to enjoy the necessaries, conveniences and amusements of human life. But after the division of labor has once thoroughly taken place, it is but a very small part of these with which a man’s own labor can supply him. The far greater part of them he must derive from the labor of other people, and he must be rich or poor according to the quantity of that labor which he command, or which he can afford to purchase.” (Smith, 1776)
This would hold that a society of laborers who are better paid and hold better working conditions would yield a better quality and quantity of labor, benefiting both the employer and the employee. Such ideas were most definitely a point within liberalism. As a man living during a time period when laws, such as the Corn Laws, were made to benefit the ruling class finding a manner in which to both grow the economy and the equality of mankind was a daunting task. While this idea of free trade for both the owners and the laborers often fell on the deaf ears of Parliament who wanted to tax the lower classes and force them to buy only English goods, there were some such as Richard Cobden and John Bright who were liberalists and vehemently opposed to restricting free trade. In a speech before Parliament Cobden and Bright argued that people have the right to food and that taxing it so heavily through the Corn Laws impedes the growth of society. (Cobden & Bright, 2014) The British Parliament would come to see the benefits of the free trade touted by liberalism in a resolution in 1852 stating in said resolution “That it is the opinion of this House that that policy, firmly maintained and prudently extended, will best enable the industry of the country to bear its burdens, and will thereby most surely promote the welfare and contentment of the people.” (A resolution in favor of fair trade, 1852)
Of course it the ability to have free trade gives rise to other arguments that revolve around artisanship. Eley argues that liberalism and labor are not equal because even labor has an aristocracy within it in the form of artisans and those with great experience. (Eley, 1997) Liberalism for all its grandiose ideals was a philosophy and political viewpoint that did not come into being until the modern era in the post Enlightenment world, despite drawing strongly from Enlightenment ideals. Prior to the modern era and truly even after the beginning of the modern era very little thought was ever given to equality in any form. Before the year 1500 education was thought to only belong to the ruling classes, including priestly orders and as there was no printing press yet in evidence methods by which to learn and read were costly and few. Without freedom for education and a solid focus on individualism, the whole of society was focused solely on the greatness of the empire, and simple survival. As liberalism grew and became a legitimate philosophy for living and for politics, it influenced many different aspects of history. First and foremost the impact of liberalism can be seen in both the French and American Revolutions. The American Revolution preceded the French and many consider that it partly fueled the French Revolution. The American Revolution’s roots are grounded in liberalism and the philosophy of John Locke. Tired of having unfair and sizable taxes imposed upon them by the British crown and of having to buy solely from the British, the colonists drew from Locke’s social contract the idea that since the British government was not working for them, they have the duty to abolish it and establish their own government that work for their own rights. The colonists had the idea that they should be equal to those across the see and have the ability to buy and sell goods in a free market. Their success in attaining their goals gave the French the courage needed to press on for their own freedoms and equality. The French Revolution gave the citizens of that nation a Declaration of Rights of Man which gave them what they had been fighting for, or at least some that for which they had been fighting. Society was now imbued with certain rights and also given the freedom to seek employment of their own choosing and demand proper compensation for such employment. (French Revolution, 2014) It also gave soldiers the ability to move up or down based upon merit and performance rather than family connections. This revolution certainly brought about changes for the good and allowed liberalism to take a foothold in Europe. This adherence to liberalism also opened the door for one Napoleon Bonaparte to move up through the ranks of the military to become an absolute ruler in France and terrorize Europe. (French Revolution, 2014) The influence of liberalism did not stop with the French and American Revolutions but rather continued on pushing for freedom and equality for all. The British were still drudging through a paternalistic society despite allowing for free trade. While the male masses could vote for members of parliament that were not allotted to the aristocracy, female were not allowed the vote which situation was also echoed in the U.S. If liberalism is truly about equality then that equality should be for all, not just men. Sandra explains that liberalism is as much about individualism as it is equality and individualism by its very nature would hold that women should have the vote simply because they are individuals. (Sandra, 2006) However, many so called liberals of the time still withheld the vote from women due to an entrenchment in paternalistic tendencies. Although, eventually both the British and Americans would come to see equality and individualism do belong to all and not just men. Liberalism also had its hand in both World Wars that devastated so much of the population. World War I was technically began by an assignation but truthfully, fascism had reared its ugly head by those who manipulated the democratic system put in place by liberalism. Liberalism supports capitalism by its very nature and those who were fascists and communists argued that capitalism did not equate with equality for all but rather encouraged greed and poverty. Russia specifically was anti-capitalism feeling the liberalism was more about the sharing of resources for all so that none would have more than another, thus being the very definition of liberalism. Meanwhile Britain, the U.S., and France were willing to combat this attempted overtaking by the fascist and communist regimes feeling that forcibly taking over another country is the anti-thesis to liberalism and equality, specifically when attempting to force upon unwilling people a political system they have rejected. The same can be said of World War II and the attempt of the Nazis to eradicate an entire population because it did not fit with their idea of perfection. Such an ideal is in direct opposition to liberalism. The entrance of the United States into this war was predicated by an attack on Japan in order to protect its own citizens but also to save an entire population who had a God-given right to live and live with equality. Like the world wars, the Cold War was also a study in liberalism as a philosophy and political maneuver. The Cold War began due to a fear of communism by the United States and a fear of capitalism by the Soviet Union. Both ideologies giving rise to the idea that they are the true routes of liberalism and through liberalism the equality and happiness of their societies. However, the Soviet Union would eventually become Russia again and give way to a democratic and capitalist way of life due to the pressures from their own peoples who had determined that liberalism was not at work. They did not have technology, jobs, or sufficient wealth to provide for themselves because what should have been distributed equally was most often distributed to a small elite class only. During the time frame of the Cold War the United States was also seeing aspects of their citizens and society raise a hue to demand equality for those to whom it had been previously denied. In a country which prides itself on being formed via liberalism and equality for all, women were often denied certain rights and freedoms. They were unable to vote and while some could and did work they certainly did make equal pay to those of men. Likewise, African American citizens were fighting for these same rights and freedoms and even more as they were segregated from parts of society based solely on their skin color. These atrocities flew in the face of liberalism and individualism, which were and are thought to go hand in hand together. Over time the ideals of liberalism would win out and equality would be won for both women and African Americans but it would take a century and some decades to get to that point. This is especially saddening for a country that had such an auspicious beginning. Liberalism in today’s world is a different being that what it first began as. It is now more of a political ideology than a philosophy that supports equality. Like when it first came into being there are those who support its current incarnation and those whom vehemently oppose such politics. However, liberalism is one of the greatest philosophies to come out of the modern era. Without Locke fathering liberalism it is impossible to determine if the people in countries such as Britain, France, America, Russia etc. would have as much as equality and freedom as is currently enjoyed. Liberalism is a philosophy that would influence the world and its politics perhaps more than any other would.
References
Cobden, Richard, and John Bright. "Free Trade." Readings in Modern European History: A Collection of Extracts from the Sources Chosen With the Purpose of Illustrating Some of the Chief Phases of the Development of Europe During the Last Two Hundred Years, Volume 2: Europe Since the Congress of Vienna. By Cobden, Richard, and John Bright. Boston: Ginn and Company, 1908. Academic World Book. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Eley, G. (1997). Labour and liberalism in nineteenth-century europe: Essays in comparative history. Victorian Studies, 40(3), 537-543. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211924370?accountid=32521
Getz, T.R. & Brooke, J. E. (2012) World history: the human experience from 1500. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. San Diego, Ca
French Revolution. (2014). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/219315/French-Revolution/2498/The-new-regime
“A Resolution In Favor Of Free Trade (November 23, 1852)." Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England. Academic World Book. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. Sandra, S. H. (2006). Liberalism in nineteenth-century europe: The political culture of limited Suffrage/The militant suffrage movement: Citizenship and resistance in britain, 1860-1930. Victorian Studies, 49(1), 147-149. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211914985?accountid=32521A
Smith, A. (1776) A wealth of nations. The Electric Book Company. London, GBR. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/lib/ashford/docDetail.action. March 10, 2014.
history when reason and intellect were treasured. The Enlightenment also upheld ideas of individuality and freedom from the oppression of illiteracy and inequality that had plagued citizens of empires. The Industrial Revolution further enhanced these ideals by giving people the ability to quickly and efficiently produce mass publication of pamphlets and other documents encouraging literacy and equality. John Locke is often considered the originator of liberalism in the classical sense.
Locke is the philosopher who posited the idea of a social contract existing between the government and the governed, stating that the government can only govern so long as the people allow it to in that said government has only the power that the people willingly bestow. (Getz & Brooke, 2012) Should such a time ensue as the government oversteps its bounds the people then have an obligation to do away with that government and begin anew. Locke brought about this social contract after realizing how poorly the poor were fairing under an absolute rule government with an elite minority also presiding over the poor in the form of the
aristocracy. While many focus on the social equality that is inherent in liberalism, it is also important to focus on the economics of liberalism. Liberalism is quite the friend of capitalism holding that people have the right to equal opportunity, if not equal condition. This form of economics favors a self-regulating economy with government having a much smaller role that was previously thought to be necessary. The self-regulations of the economy and the laissez-faire attitude that was requested by liberalism allowed people to sell their goods and their services to whom they choose and for an amount of their choosing providing of course that said goods and services are not in competition with the welfare of society. Though John Locke was considered the founder of liberalism, economist Adam Smith took an active interest in the role of laborers played within society and the economy. As an economist interest in the wealth of nations and a man intent on equality for the laborers he offered this insight:
“Every man is rich or poor according to the degree in which he can afford to enjoy the necessaries, conveniences and amusements of human life. But after the division of labor has once thoroughly taken place, it is but a very small part of these with which a man’s own labor can supply him. The far greater part of them he must derive from the labor of other people, and he must be rich or poor according to the quantity of that labor which he command, or which he can afford to purchase.” (Smith, 1776)
This would hold that a society of laborers who are better paid and hold better working conditions would yield a better quality and quantity of labor, benefiting both the employer and the employee. Such ideas were most definitely a point within liberalism. As a man living during a time period when laws, such as the Corn Laws, were made to benefit the ruling class finding a manner in which to both grow the economy and the equality of mankind was a daunting task. While this idea of free trade for both the owners and the laborers often fell on the deaf ears of Parliament who wanted to tax the lower classes and force them to buy only English goods, there were some such as Richard Cobden and John Bright who were liberalists and vehemently opposed to restricting free trade. In a speech before Parliament Cobden and Bright argued that people have the right to food and that taxing it so heavily through the Corn Laws impedes the growth of society. (Cobden & Bright, 2014) The British Parliament would come to see the benefits of the free trade touted by liberalism in a resolution in 1852 stating in said resolution “That it is the opinion of this House that that policy, firmly maintained and prudently extended, will best enable the industry of the country to bear its burdens, and will thereby most surely promote the welfare and contentment of the people.” (A resolution in favor of fair trade, 1852)
Of course it the ability to have free trade gives rise to other arguments that revolve around artisanship. Eley argues that liberalism and labor are not equal because even labor has an aristocracy within it in the form of artisans and those with great experience. (Eley, 1997) Liberalism for all its grandiose ideals was a philosophy and political viewpoint that did not come into being until the modern era in the post Enlightenment world, despite drawing strongly from Enlightenment ideals. Prior to the modern era and truly even after the beginning of the modern era very little thought was ever given to equality in any form. Before the year 1500 education was thought to only belong to the ruling classes, including priestly orders and as there was no printing press yet in evidence methods by which to learn and read were costly and few. Without freedom for education and a solid focus on individualism, the whole of society was focused solely on the greatness of the empire, and simple survival. As liberalism grew and became a legitimate philosophy for living and for politics, it influenced many different aspects of history. First and foremost the impact of liberalism can be seen in both the French and American Revolutions. The American Revolution preceded the French and many consider that it partly fueled the French Revolution. The American Revolution’s roots are grounded in liberalism and the philosophy of John Locke. Tired of having unfair and sizable taxes imposed upon them by the British crown and of having to buy solely from the British, the colonists drew from Locke’s social contract the idea that since the British government was not working for them, they have the duty to abolish it and establish their own government that work for their own rights. The colonists had the idea that they should be equal to those across the see and have the ability to buy and sell goods in a free market. Their success in attaining their goals gave the French the courage needed to press on for their own freedoms and equality. The French Revolution gave the citizens of that nation a Declaration of Rights of Man which gave them what they had been fighting for, or at least some that for which they had been fighting. Society was now imbued with certain rights and also given the freedom to seek employment of their own choosing and demand proper compensation for such employment. (French Revolution, 2014) It also gave soldiers the ability to move up or down based upon merit and performance rather than family connections. This revolution certainly brought about changes for the good and allowed liberalism to take a foothold in Europe. This adherence to liberalism also opened the door for one Napoleon Bonaparte to move up through the ranks of the military to become an absolute ruler in France and terrorize Europe. (French Revolution, 2014) The influence of liberalism did not stop with the French and American Revolutions but rather continued on pushing for freedom and equality for all. The British were still drudging through a paternalistic society despite allowing for free trade. While the male masses could vote for members of parliament that were not allotted to the aristocracy, female were not allowed the vote which situation was also echoed in the U.S. If liberalism is truly about equality then that equality should be for all, not just men. Sandra explains that liberalism is as much about individualism as it is equality and individualism by its very nature would hold that women should have the vote simply because they are individuals. (Sandra, 2006) However, many so called liberals of the time still withheld the vote from women due to an entrenchment in paternalistic tendencies. Although, eventually both the British and Americans would come to see equality and individualism do belong to all and not just men. Liberalism also had its hand in both World Wars that devastated so much of the population. World War I was technically began by an assignation but truthfully, fascism had reared its ugly head by those who manipulated the democratic system put in place by liberalism. Liberalism supports capitalism by its very nature and those who were fascists and communists argued that capitalism did not equate with equality for all but rather encouraged greed and poverty. Russia specifically was anti-capitalism feeling the liberalism was more about the sharing of resources for all so that none would have more than another, thus being the very definition of liberalism. Meanwhile Britain, the U.S., and France were willing to combat this attempted overtaking by the fascist and communist regimes feeling that forcibly taking over another country is the anti-thesis to liberalism and equality, specifically when attempting to force upon unwilling people a political system they have rejected. The same can be said of World War II and the attempt of the Nazis to eradicate an entire population because it did not fit with their idea of perfection. Such an ideal is in direct opposition to liberalism. The entrance of the United States into this war was predicated by an attack on Japan in order to protect its own citizens but also to save an entire population who had a God-given right to live and live with equality. Like the world wars, the Cold War was also a study in liberalism as a philosophy and political maneuver. The Cold War began due to a fear of communism by the United States and a fear of capitalism by the Soviet Union. Both ideologies giving rise to the idea that they are the true routes of liberalism and through liberalism the equality and happiness of their societies. However, the Soviet Union would eventually become Russia again and give way to a democratic and capitalist way of life due to the pressures from their own peoples who had determined that liberalism was not at work. They did not have technology, jobs, or sufficient wealth to provide for themselves because what should have been distributed equally was most often distributed to a small elite class only. During the time frame of the Cold War the United States was also seeing aspects of their citizens and society raise a hue to demand equality for those to whom it had been previously denied. In a country which prides itself on being formed via liberalism and equality for all, women were often denied certain rights and freedoms. They were unable to vote and while some could and did work they certainly did make equal pay to those of men. Likewise, African American citizens were fighting for these same rights and freedoms and even more as they were segregated from parts of society based solely on their skin color. These atrocities flew in the face of liberalism and individualism, which were and are thought to go hand in hand together. Over time the ideals of liberalism would win out and equality would be won for both women and African Americans but it would take a century and some decades to get to that point. This is especially saddening for a country that had such an auspicious beginning. Liberalism in today’s world is a different being that what it first began as. It is now more of a political ideology than a philosophy that supports equality. Like when it first came into being there are those who support its current incarnation and those whom vehemently oppose such politics. However, liberalism is one of the greatest philosophies to come out of the modern era. Without Locke fathering liberalism it is impossible to determine if the people in countries such as Britain, France, America, Russia etc. would have as much as equality and freedom as is currently enjoyed. Liberalism is a philosophy that would influence the world and its politics perhaps more than any other would.
References
Cobden, Richard, and John Bright. "Free Trade." Readings in Modern European History: A Collection of Extracts from the Sources Chosen With the Purpose of Illustrating Some of the Chief Phases of the Development of Europe During the Last Two Hundred Years, Volume 2: Europe Since the Congress of Vienna. By Cobden, Richard, and John Bright. Boston: Ginn and Company, 1908. Academic World Book. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Eley, G. (1997). Labour and liberalism in nineteenth-century europe: Essays in comparative history. Victorian Studies, 40(3), 537-543. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211924370?accountid=32521
Getz, T.R. & Brooke, J. E. (2012) World history: the human experience from 1500. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. San Diego, Ca
French Revolution. (2014). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/219315/French-Revolution/2498/The-new-regime
“A Resolution In Favor Of Free Trade (November 23, 1852)." Readings in English History Drawn from the Original Sources: Intended to Illustrate a Short History of England. Academic World Book. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. Sandra, S. H. (2006). Liberalism in nineteenth-century europe: The political culture of limited Suffrage/The militant suffrage movement: Citizenship and resistance in britain, 1860-1930. Victorian Studies, 49(1), 147-149. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211914985?accountid=32521A
Smith, A. (1776) A wealth of nations. The Electric Book Company. London, GBR. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/lib/ashford/docDetail.action. March 10, 2014.