DEFINITIONS OF LIBERALISM

(A simple antidote to Jonah Goldberg)

Encyclopædia Britannica:

political doctrine that takes the abuse of power, and thus the freedom of the individual, as the central problem of government. For liberals, power is most importantly abused by governments, but it may also be abused by the wealthy; by monarchs, aristocrats, and others with inherited authority and privileges; and indeed by any group that has the means and the inclination to act oppressively.

Liberalism is the culmination of developments in Western society that produced a sense of the importance of human individuality, a liberation of the individual from complete subservience to the group, and a relaxation of the tight hold of custom, law, and authority. The emancipation of the individual can be understood as a unique achievement of Western culture, perhaps its very hallmark.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05.

philosophy or movement that has as its aim the development of individual freedom. Because the concepts of liberty or freedom change in different historical periods the specific programs of liberalism also change. The final aim of liberalism, however, remains fixed, as does its characteristic belief not only in essential human goodness but also in human rationality.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

2a. A political theory founded on the natural goodness of humans and the autonomy of the individual and favoring civil and political liberties, government by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority.

Merriam-Webster

c : a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties