3.3.1 Understanding Modern Liberalism

3.3.1 Understanding Modern Liberalism 

There was a great deal of resistance to liberal practices by those who benefited from the status quo or existing way of doing things. The nobility did not want to give up their power to the working
class. The rich did not want to extend economic freedoms to the poor. Many men did not want to give women equal rights.

Those with ethnocentric beliefs did not want to give equality to people from other backgrounds. Modern liberalism came into being through the efforts of many people who fought, not always peacefully, for the rights and freedoms that people in liberal democracies experience today.

Some examples include the following:

• The women's suffrage movement led to voting rights for women.
• Human rights activists successfully lobbied for an end to slavery and equal rights for all.
• Gradual change at the government level led to the extension of universal suffrage in most liberal democracies.
• The labour movement protested against unsafe working conditions and unfair wages, leading to legislated labour standards.
• Former colonies were granted their independence after World War II under the principle of self determination.
• Protests by citizens to expand equal treatment under the law for various minority groups (Example: LGBTQ)
  

Positive and Negative Liberty

The social, economic, and political changes that resulted from their efforts led to a new kind of liberalism that includes both negative and positive freedoms. Both classical liberalism and modern liberalism are based on the idea of freedom. But does liberalism mean freedom "from" something, or is it freedom "to do or have" something?

Classical liberals tend to think of individual liberty as freedom from external obstacles or constraints.  That is, people are free to act if others do not interfere. According to Thomas Hobbes, "A free man is he that, in those things which by his strength and wit he is able to do, is not hindered to do what he hath the will to do."

Modern liberals have a broader conception of individual liberty. Modern liberalism holds that freedom means more than simply being told what you can or cannot do. For people to be truly free, they must have the capacity to realize their own goals and dreams. Modern liberals think of liberty as freedom to achieve personal goals and self-fulfillment. For example, a child born into poverty, with little opportunity to escape his or her situation, is not really free to develop to the full extent of his or her abilities. To overcome these obstacles, a certain measure of equality must be ensured.

The Cycle of Negative and Positive Freedoms

The principles of liberalism dictate that people should not only be free from outside forces telling them what to do and how to live, but also that they should be free to have equal opportunities. Balancing negative and positive freedoms for the common good is a challenge in any liberal democracy.

Positive freedoms may interfere with negative freedoms. They often lead to greater government involvement in our lives. Some people see government actions as interference with their rights. If the government establishes safety regulations that say you cannot smoke in a public place so that people will be free from second hand smoke, smokers have some of their freedoms taken away. If we give every child the right to an education, or every person the right to free health care, then it must be provided through taxation. When every child is guaranteed the right to a public education through public schools, and every person is guaranteed the right to healthcare, corporations lose the ability to compete for the "business" of providing schools and hospitals.

Liberalism and Notion of Equality

Liberalism, as most people understand it today, includes not only all the principles of classical liberalism but also the belief that all people should be free to make their own choices, pursue their own dreams, and take responsibility for the results. In other words, modern liberalism includes the belief in the inherent equality of human beings.

However, we know historical, racial, personal, economic, and gender-based inequalities exist today. In a democratic society, modern liberalism includes a greater role for government in ensuring people have greater opportunities. Just how great a role governments should have remains an area of debate.