Liberalism is a political, social, and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, and the right to private property. It is a broad and diverse ideology that has evolved over time and has different interpretations and applications in different contexts. Here are some key characteristics of liberalism:
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Individualism: Liberalism emphasizes the importance of individual freedom and autonomy, as opposed to the emphasis on status, caste, and tradition in other civilizations.
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Democracy: While liberalism has a close relationship with democracy, it is primarily concerned with the scope of governmental activity, rather than the source of governmental authority.
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Limited government: Liberals believe that the power of the government should be limited to protect individual rights and freedoms.
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Free market: Liberals generally support free trade and marketization, and oppose mercantilist policies, royal monopolies, and other trade barriers.
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International cooperation: Liberal norms favor international cooperation, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
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Institutions and norms: Liberals believe that institutions and norms are essential for restraining concentrations of unaccountable violent power, which are seen as the fundamental threat to individual liberty.
The diversity of liberalism can be seen in the numerous qualifiers that liberal thinkers and movements have attached to the term "liberalism," including classical, egalitarian, economic, social, the welfare state, ethical, humanist, deontological, perfectionist, democratic, and institutional, among others.
