In this article you will learn about the Types of Liberalism in Political Science.
Liberalism : History
Ever since the origin of State, Liberalism has been a continuously present political ideology. Liberalism found trusty supporters who defined and advocated it as the best political ideology which stood for the rights, freedoms and interests of the individual in all the periods of history. Initially, Liberalism got the name individualism but later it got the name new or modern liberalism. It is the most popular political ideology of the 21st Century.
In the 18th century, Liberalism had a powerful influence on the Western Europe and America. In England, it assumed the status of a national ideology. In the 20th century, Liberalism was adopted and practised by a large number of states. The liberation movements became very strong in the first half of the 20th century. In the post-war period some states adopted the ideology of Liberalism while some preferred to adopt the ideology of Socialism. Some states like India, decided to adopt the ideology of Democratic Socialism for securing socilaist objectives through liberal democratic means.
During the entire period of the Cold War, the world continued to live with the debate about Liberalism vs Socialism. However, towards the end of the 20th century, Liberalism was successful not only in remaining popular but also in getting recognition as the best ideology. In the last decade of the 20th century, Liberalism got a universal acceptance as the most popular and loved political ideology. It is now a universally accepted and followed political ideology in the present century.
Liberalism : Meaning
The word Liberalism is taken from the Latin word ‘Liberalis’ which means ‘freeman’ and no doubt it is related to freedom. It stands for social, economic and political order within which man may feel free and safe and get encouraged to develop himself without any outer interference. Liberalism states that the aim of the State is to preserve individual rights and freedoms. It should promote necessary conditions for human development without unduly and unfairly putting restraints upon rights and freedoms of the individual.
Types of Liberalism
Let us discuss the two broad types/forms of Liberalism : Classical Liberalism and Contemporary Liberalism.
Classical Liberalism
Classical Liberalism was also known as Individualism. It was the oldest or rather the origin form of Liberalism. It supported a limited government based on the approval of the people. The classical liberalists regarded the individual as the centre of the whole system and looked for the maximum liberty for him. It supported the doctrine of natural rights of individuals. In the economic sphere it supported the idea of “Laisses-Faire” which means least amount of state interference in the economic life of the people and also supported open competitions.
Contemporary Liberalism
Contemporary Liberalism is the form of social liberalism which regards the securing of the ideals of equality, liberty, justice, welfare state and all round development of the individual and his society as the goals. To achieve these, it advocates total faith in the rights and freedom of all the people and regards democracy as real only when it is governed by the political ideology of Liberalism.
This article on Types of Liberalism in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.