As the Industrial Revolution was drawing to an end, liberalism was continuing to evolve as an ideology. Liberal writers and thinkers (like Adam Smith, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill) championed democracy, individual rights, and free, market-driven prosperity. In truth, however, these were ideals that appeared to be out of reach for many segments of the population.
While calling themselves democracies, countries like Canada and the United States excluded individuals from the political process based on income, race, and gender. Individual rights were also limited on a variety of grounds. Economically, overall standards of living had improved, but working classes were often still subject to exploitation by greedy and unscrupulous employers and businesspeople.
As liberal democracies entered the twentieth century, politicians and social activists started to address many of these issues. Social and economic upheavals forced governments to continually re-evaluate the ideals of classical liberalism and to make modifications that seemed appropriate to the time and circumstance.
In the twenty-first century and faced with new challenges, governments and citizens alike must continue to evaluate the course liberalism has taken over the past century.
Liberalism evolved over time starting back with the Enlightenment with many shifts and changes along the way. That means it changed….can it change still? What might the interpretation be in regard to liberalism 5, 10, or 15 years from now?
Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Document outlining the fundamental rights available to all Canadians
Parliament: a legislative body formed of representatives of the people in a democracy
In many ways, the values of modern liberalism differ from the values of classical liberalism. Although each of these sets of beliefs and values is rooted in individualism, they interpret individualism and how to best achieve the common good in different ways.
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