Political Liberalism

Abstract

Republicanism and liberalism first diverged when some “liberals” (formerly republicans) accepted the shackles of autocratic power. Liberalism asserted the value of being left alone, even at the price of accepting an “enlightened” despot. This liberal policy of avoiding conflict seemed very appealing in an era when public controversies cost many subjects their lives. Liberalism began as a retreat to the private sphere, and grew by expanding the private to incorporate more and more formerly public functions. So liberalism started as a flight from politics, embracing a new definition of liberty as the ability to do what one wants, in one’s own way. This definition has political implications, and gradually a new political science of liberalism emerged, reflecting liberalism’s new conception of “liberty.”