The Origins of Liberalism (Classical Liberalism) The only part of the conduct of anyone for which he is amenable to society is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign. ~ John Stewart Mill

Liberalism Was a response to the absolute rule of the monarchs in the 17 th and 18 th century The word liberal comes from the Latin liber, meaning free Liberalism has been applied to those who favour the reform of government Liberalism is associated wit being open- minded and supporting freedom of speech and freedom within actions

Basic Principles of Political Liberalism Personal Freedom: refers to the absence of coercion (force) and include free speech, religious liberty and the right to provide property and the right to political opposition Equality of Right: all must abide by the same lays, which the government enforces with impartiality –Similar to the Rule of Law (Magna Carta) Limited Government: means that the state (government) is an instrument serving a function in society and not in general charge of ALL society The government is there to prevent people from hurting each other by force and fraud Consent of the Governed: government is responsible to people and may be changed by them

Classical Liberalism John Locke and English philosopher was the first to argue that individuals had innate rights of life, liberty and prosperity Government comes about through the agreement of free individuals that their rights are best protected by associating with one another If the contract was broken people have the right to rebel

Locke’s ideas justified the American Revolution of 1776 and the French Revolution of 1789 The purpose of government is to protect its citizens “life, health, liberty or possessions” Locke believed that people should have a ‘private sphere’ that the government could not interfere with – religion in particular – the state should be tolerant of all religions

American Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence of 1776 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

French Revolution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man The national Assembly also took to Locke’s ideas and put those very ideas into their Declaration for the Rights of Man and of the Citizen “The end of all political associations is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptable rights of a man; and these rights are liberty, property, security, and re resistance of oppression.” Portrays the idea called ‘Rule of Law’

John Stewart Mill John Stewart Mill put together many themes on liberalism in his book entitled ‘On Liberty’ His ideas impacted many people throughout history. Let’s hear what Teddy Roosevelt said about liberty ?v=HYn5FJnvrZk ?v=HYn5FJnvrZk “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.”

Classical Liberalism and Economics Characteristics: Economic freedom, self-interest, competition and private property Classical liberalism is identified in the economy as a free market economy The ideas of a free market economy were brought to life by Adam Smith Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of Nations”

Aboriginal Contributions of Liberalism It has been argued that many of the principles of liberalism originated in traditional Aboriginal societies. In Canada, our Aboriginal communities use liberal ideas such as elected leaders, government by consensus, leadership on the basis of merit, just punishment and concepts of equality and equality before the law. Aboriginal Justice Circle

Great Law of Peace The Great Law of Peace provided the Haudenosaunee people with a constitution that dates back to the 15 th century The Great Binding Law, as it sometimes is referred to has three main principles: –Righteoutsness –Health –Power*all characteristics of liberalism pdx.edu/html/greatlaw.html

Liberalism Today Liberals today generally believe today that every individual is unique. The purpose of life is to realize that potential, to become whatever it is one is capable of becoming. The role of the state (government) is to produce the conditions under which individuals have the broadest possible choice in deciding upon their definition of good. Society, meanwhile, should celebrate this diversity while giving equal treatment totally, regardless of a person’s origins, colour, gender, sexual orientation or status in life. In exchange for this respect, the individual must acknowledge responsibility for his own fortunes and for the fortunes of the community.

Liberalism in Canada In 1982 the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms advanced the liberal cause by entrenching into the Canadian Constitution (Canada Act) both basic liberties and new linguistic (language) rights for minorities The purpose of the Charter was to entrench (dig in) rights, especially language rights where no government could ever take them away With the Charter as a shield a single citizen can achieve Locke’s vision of a society in which rights are precedence over authority