Imagine how incredibly satisfying public discourse would be if liberalism still meant liberalism, conservatism still meant conservatism, and libertarianism still meant libertarianism. Liberalism: the belief that the only true basis of authority, intellectual or political, is the freely given consent of rational, thoughtful individuals. (See, for example, Bertrand Russell) Conservatism: the belief that the status quo constitutes a delicate balance of past struggles and compromises, leading to a skepticism about remaking society according to rational principles. See, for example, David Hume. Libertarianism: the belief that only non-productive property should be allowed to be private. See, for example, Alexander Berkman. Note that all three of these positions believe in the rule of law, and that none of them defines freedom as the entitlement to act however one wishes.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 07:34:45 +0000
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