Liberalism

The term liberalism has had different uses within the field of thought and politics and is part of a series of doctrines related to philosophy that seek to enhance the ability of an individual to enjoy their individual freedom .

Definition

Liberalism is a type of political system that turns out to be very compatible with the democratic style of government , mainly of a representative type. It is a movement that goes against absolutism and that seeks to promote the freedom of the individual, limit the role and power of the State in people, thus improving economic relations , protection and promoting equality before the law. It is a movement that promotes and allows the division of power, it is the rule of law and tolerance for different religious beliefs.

Characteristics of liberalism

Among its main characteristics the following can be mentioned:

• For this movement, the living being is a rational being that must also enjoy a series of individual rights .
• Man has the right to life , liberty and property of a private nature .
• It does not allow the power exercised by the rulers to be given arbitrarily.
• The basis of wealth in nations for liberalism must be the capitalist free market .
• The businesses must be regulated and protected by the State.
• The State has the function of guaranteeing individual and collective rights .
• Supports the free market and individual property .

Source

The origin of liberalism comes a work published by John Locke who was the one who developed a theory where private property was established as a human right. Experts consider that its origin dates from the beginning of the French Revolution and remained in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.

History

Its history dates from the French Revolution and lasted until the Cold War . It began as a type of general doctrine and as an effort to stop religious wars in Europe. Its foundations were established by John Locke , and little by little the ideas were spreading to revolutionary movements that managed to eliminate old regimes in the world.

As a type of political doctrine , it was born from the rationalisms that occurred in the 18th century, and arose in a context that gave importance to debate , tolerance and freedom . He was strongly opposed to hierarchy and uncontrolled authority and put forward ideas of equality. The Cycle of Liberal Revolutions occurred in the nineteenth century with which respect for democracy and the division of powers in the State was founded.

Types

There are several types of liberalism, among which are:

Economic liberalism

This type of liberalism promotes the limitation of the State through a series of regulations since commercial relations must be carried out under a framework that promotes freedom and equal conditions . It seeks to achieve wealth through individual and private initiative to find its own material benefits.

Social liberalism

It was born as a response to the unjust conditions that had been caused by economic liberalism and the Industrial Revolution . It is based on a type of liberal doctrine and allows the State to provide a series of more just social conditions.

Political liberalism

It is based on the freedom of man and the protection of civil liberties protected under the rule of law . In this type of liberalism, politicians are democratically elected , there is a division of powers, and there is a clear distinction between church and state .

Beginning

There are three basic principles of liberalism. The first of them is individualism that dictates that the human being must be at the center of the universe because he is the owner of his behavior, he gives man freedom so that he is the one who forges his destiny. The second principle is based on private property which must first of all be respected and finally, the principle of equality before the law that indicates the individual and collective rights of the inhabitants of a place and the fight against absolutism.

The principle of law gives people the possibility to enjoy different rights and duties , to avoid being discriminated against by the law due to the type of ethnicity, skin color, religion or social class and also limits the powers of the State and the Government.

Liberalism in Spain

Liberalism in Spain had its beginnings in the Contemporary Age and was a political movement promoted by aristocrats , bureaucrats and intellectuals . However, at present, there is no true party in this country that can be considered as liberal, because to date none defends the market economy , correct globalization and individual rights and freedoms .

Liberalism in Japan

It is represented by the Liberal Democratic Party , it is a conservative party and is considered as the main force that has ruled the country for a long time. He began by promoting a new approach to foreign policy , participation in the United Nations and sought a way to reestablish diplomatic contacts with the Soviet Union.

Liberalism in China

At present, liberalism is sought to be more present in China through a series of political reforms to human rights , the judicial system and the economic sphere , yes, freedom of the press is not included within the points to approve. They seek to combat corruption and inequality.

Liberalism in France

With the victory of Emmanuel Macron , it has been made known that progressive liberalism is present in Europe and it begins to develop as the best political option for the future with the aim of being able to face the challenges of the current century. France has managed to establish and bet on a project that seeks to give hope, improve freedom , equality for its inhabitants and fraternity .

Advantage

There are several advantages that can be obtained by applying liberalism in a government. Thanks to this type of ideology, innovation , creativity and development are greatly benefited by promoting the creation of new projects . It is an ideology that helps drive competition so that companies have the ability to provide better service and higher quality in the products they offer. In addition, liberalism promotes the capacity for free trade and in this way the inhabitants of a region have a greater quantity of products, many of which are more accessible to the public.

It is a movement that greatly helps to incentivize the investment of larger capitals which causes the economy to activate and boost considerably. It helps to create new companies while promoting the formation of new jobs for society. In addition, it ensures that the rights of freedom of its citizens are fulfilled , creating an environment of greater peace and security.

Disadvantages

Among its disadvantages, mainly the economic nature , we can mention that liberalism can put aside all kinds of social considerations and can, at a certain point, neglect the sectors that are more disadvantaged and that also do not have any type of participation in the economy. . State employees cannot enjoy different types of economic programs and, by defending international free trade , foreign products can be received that at some point will affect national traders and producers .

How it differs from neoliberalism

The main difference with neoliberalism is that it promotes that economic activities are only in the hands of individuals or private companies, limiting the role of the State within the economic field of a country. It also proposes that restrictions and limitations be eliminated so that the borders are opened to merchandise and financial capital.

Importance

Liberalism is an important movement because thanks to it it was possible to establish a better advance in political , economic and social terms for all humanity. It was through this movement that the civil liberties that destroyed the feudal system were established . He also promoted the formation and creation of democracies, encouraging the rule of law. A movement that also managed to guarantee equal conditions in the economic field and in the markets, eradicating the manipulation of the economy, with the aim of establishing equality among people.

Thanks to liberalism, they were able to establish rights and freedoms such as freedom of expression and religion , separating the State from this matter. Political liberalism for its part managed to hand over part of power to citizens, who can freely decide who will be their representative.

Criticism of liberalism

The main criticism made of this movement is that it establishes a coercive capitalism with its policies, thus generating a large number of patterns of poverty . Liberals claim to be against aggression, however, keeping a large amount of private property results in aggression against freedom . In reality, the freedom that liberalism promises includes not being able to do anything you want because it adheres to the framework of the law and the free market has turned out to be a law where anything goes without there being any real laws that regulate it.

Representatives

The main representatives of liberalism were:

• Adam Smith , founder of economic liberalism.
• David Ricardo considered one of the fathers of the economy.
• John Maynard who helped overcome the Great Depression.
• Friedrich Von Hayek , one of the most important economists of the 20th century.