Liberalism can mean either a particular party creed in a particular time period, especially the late 19th century (the hey-day of Liberalism), or a general social and political attitude and orientation. Historically Liberalism was a middle-class or bourgeois movement for freedom from remaining feudal and monarchial control, and was associated, inter alia, with freedoms both legalistic, such as the economic theory of laissez-faire, and individual. From this position of supporting basic civil liberties or human rights, liberalism has developed a modern political creed in which the independence of the ordinary citizen against any powerful body, whether the state or, for example, organized labour, is taken as vital. Modern liberal parties, and they exist in most democratic states, although not necessarily under that title, tend to argue that traditionally-organized class politics, with an apparently insoluble conflict between capitalism and some form of socialism or Marxism, is misplaced, and that a greater concentration on the talents, capacities and needs of actual individuals rather than systems of social composites is possible and desirable.
Liberalism is one of the best reasons for doubting the suitability of the standard left/right model of politics because it contains both the commitment to equality by the left and to approval of individual human effort and freedom by the right. In this sense it is often seen as being in the middle of the political spectrum, but most Liberals would argue that, far from being ‘centre’ or ‘moderate’, they are in fact radical, wishing to change much in society. Their opposition to class politics is illustrated by the example of recent British general elections, in which the Liberal Party/Liberal Democrats have gained almost exactly the same percentage from all social classes. A similar pattern tends to be found in most other Western countries.
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