Liberalism_and_Conservatism

Define both Liberalism and Conservatism and briefly discuss the key components of each ideology. According to Freedictionary.com, Liberalism is defined as 1) “a political or social philosophy advocating the freedom of the individual, parliamentary legislatures, governmental assurances of civil liberties and individual rights, and nonviolent modification of institutions to permit continued individual and social progress”; 2) a political orientation that favors social progress by reform and by changing laws rather than by revolution; 3) an economic theory advocating free competition and a self-regulating market. In one of his lectures at Yale University, Alan Paton said, “By liberalism I don't mean the creed of any party or any century. I mean a generosity of spirit, a tolerance of others, an attempt to comprehend otherness, a commitment to the rule of law, a high ideal of the worth and dignity of man, a repugnance for authoritarianism and a love of freedom.” Freedictionary. com defines Conservatism as: 1) a political philosophy advocating the preservation of the best of the established order in society and opposing radical change; 2) a political philosophy or attitude emphasizing respect for traditional institutions, distrust of government activism, and opposition to sudden change in the established order; 3) the disposition to retain what is established and to practice a policy of gradualism rather than abrupt change; 5) opposition to change and innovation; 4) the inclination, especially in politics, to maintain the existing or traditional order. Ronald W. Reagan tried to define conservatism, “If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals -- if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.” Political conservatism opposes change and desires to conserve and maintain the existing order. Consequently, it favours the organic society and tradition and holds the belief in human imperfection, hierarchy and authority, and property. It has quite strong ties with religion, which it sees, together with other practices and institutions that have been inherited from the past, as a part of tradition. For conservatives, tradition creates individual and societal sense of identity. People desire belonging and security, have limited intellectual powers, and behave in a civilized manner if there is an effective deterrent (law; crime is rooted in individuals, not in societies). “Property ownership can be regarded as an extension of an individual’s personality. People ‘realize’ themselves, even see themselves, in what they own” (Heywood 78). Because conservatism opposes widespread change and reforms in society, it is considered the politics of the right. While protecting the status quo, it accepts, however, moderate change. Pragmatic conservatives, for example, are willing to “change in order to conserve” in “fatherly fashion” (Heywood 82) or in a paternalistic way. One-nation paternalism and Christian democracy are two paternalistic conservative traditions. Modern conservatism accepts democratic suffrage, opposes the extension of the welfare state, and advocates no interference by government in the economic sphere. While liberals and conservatives both believe that market forces regulate the economy best, liberals believe that “the market economy preserves individual liberty and freedom of choice,” while conservatives have often seen the market as a tool of social control. Today, conservatives are divided in their support of traditional conservatism and the “new right” conservatism which believes in a strong minimal state and market individualism combined with social authoritarianism. Finally, traditional conservatism should be distinguished from the radical, reactionary right-wing ideologies. Liberalism as an ideology, on the other hand, aims to achieve a society in which each member can achieve fulfilment through satisfying their interests. It believes in human goodness and assumes human rationality. There should be justice for all. The human condition should be improving through permanent progress. Therefore, liberalism seeks to change the existing order. Individual liberty (freedom) is “the supreme individual value” and “the unifying principle” (Heywood 29) of liberalism. Liberal ideology has been changed through history. For example, one of the features of classical liberalism was social Darwinism. Liberalism could not and does not ignore “spread of slums, poverty, ignorance, and disease” (Heywood 53), so many liberals changed their attitudes towards the unrestrained pursuit of self-interest and the role of the state. Classical liberals see these changes as a betrayal, but modern liberals believe that they develop and build up new ideas in accordance with needs of individuals in society. It doesn’t betray anyone, but makes sure that freedom, equality, and justice for all truly exists. Both views, however, include belief in individuality, positive freedom, social liberalism, and economic management. Globalism challenges modern liberalism because even though it depends on economic freedom and open communication between governments and people, it also spreads the inherent inequalities that capitalism contains. Non-Western cultures may reject Western liberalism as a way of maintaining cultural identity. As Heywood writes, “In essence, the new right is a marriage between two apparently contrasting ideological traditions,” neoliberalism (liberal new right) and neoconservatism (conservative new right), making “a blend of radical, reactionary and traditional features” (Heywood 88). Work Cited Heywood, Andrew. Political Ideologies An Introduction. 4th ed., New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2007. 23-98. Print.