Term Papers on Liberalism And Freedom

Term Paper Title	Liberalism And Freedom
# of Words	2682
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	10.73

Liberalism and Freedom

        Liberalism is a force that has produced change from the birth of this
nation to the politics of today.  Liberal tenets have been a basis of thought
and action in American politics since well before the signing of the
Constitution.  Certainly, liberalism has had to transform in order to remain a
legitimate force throughout the years.  When considering this transformation,
one may ask whether or not the ideas and goals of classical liberalism have been
lost in the conversion into modern liberalism.  In order to answer this, the
areas of freedom, the role of government, human nature, and the function of law
should be addressed.  While this may not be a complete register of change in
liberalism,  research into these subjects can provide strong indications toward
the nature of this transition.  Objectively, the evidence suggests that many of
the ideas of classical liberalism were either abandoned or changed fundamentally
when America entered the modern era.

Freedom

     The idea of freedom has been a paramount concern of liberalism
throughout history.  Consider the classical ideas of religious freedom, the
right to resist and the inherent right of every individual to be independent.
These were some of the main focuses of classical liberalism in early America.
     On religious freedom, seventeenth century minister Roger Williams wrote:

"All Civill States with their Officers of justice in their
respectiveconstitutions and administrations are proved essentially Civill, and
therefore not judges, governours or defendours of the spirituall or christian
state and worship." (Volkomer, 50)
This quote is notable because it illustrates the early liberal ideas of
religious freedom by stating that government officials have no right to pass
judgment on religious practices.  In furtherance of his views, Williams founded
a colony at Plymouth and contributed to the development of religious tolerance
in the new world.  Religious tolerance meant that a nation with multiple
religions need no longer mean a country with internal strife and civil
insurrection due to intolerance (Volkomer, 1969).  The notion of religious open-
mindedness helped pave the way for individual independence by suggesting that
people were able to determine their own fundamental beliefs.
     The right of individuals to be independent is the cornerstone of
liberalism.  This combined with the right to resist encroachments on this
independence make up the legitimacy behind the revolution.  The Declaration of
Independence embodied these thoughts precisely and clearly.  When Thomas
Jefferson wrote about the "inalienable rights... life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness" he was speaking of the inherent rights of man and went further to
declare that any government that chooses to dispel these rights is subject to
overthrow by the governed.  In short Jefferson was saying that the right of the
government to rule is derived from the people's ability to utilize and approve
of their level of independence.
     Modern America embraces and reveres the ideals above.  This leaves
modern liberalism with the chore of expanding these rights.  The focus has now
shifted from the attainment of these rights to the perfection of them.  In the
above statement I mean to show that liberal ideas of freedom and liberty have
changed considerably.  This can be clarified by the following quote:

"A man who was poor, uneducated, ill-housed, and subject to the fluctuations
economic cycle could not be considered free though he lived in a nation whose
government abided by the tenets of laissez-faire. True liberty, liberals began
to contend, required the ability of man to use his talents and energies in a
constructive      fashion-it meant the positive freedom to achieve and
accomplish." (Volkomer, 4)

        This quotation suggests that modern liberals now see it as the
government's responsibility to level the playing field for individuals who would
otherwise be at a disadvantage.  The freedom to achieve one's own potential ...

This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Digital Term Papers. Please register below now!

Digital Term Papers has over 63,000 essays, term papers, and book notes online. Many paper sites will charge you hundreds of dollars for a single paper. Digital Term Papers only charges $14.95 for a one month membership with instant account activation!

Don't waste anymore time! Join NOW!!!

1 Month (automatic renewal) ($14.95)

3 Months (automatic renewal) ($29.95)

6 Months (one-time billing) ($39.95)

Pay by: