History and Philosophy of Liberalism

Individual, tyranny, arbitrariness and freedom

S'il paraissait à Hayek si important de dénoncer ce qu'il appelait les « faux libéraux », c'est que leur conception du libéralisme reposerait sur une philosophie à laquelle il a donné le nom de « constructivisme » et qui serait étroitement associée à ce que d'autres ont appelé l'esprit cartésien. Lagueux. Qu'est ce que le néo-libéralisme.

In the great ascent of economic and political doctrines imagined by mankind, the emergence of liberal ideas during the seventeenth century was a real progress. Facing the feudal tyranny and the arbitrary drifts of monarchical absolutism, the concept of individual freedom represented a powerful evolution of human consciousness. The strength of this new enthusiasm was gradually to overthrow a decadent monarchy which was difficult to reform. The revolution was then activating the emergence of the nation, human rights and freedom of enterprise. It boosted the growth of creativity and progress.

New developments in liberalism

Liberalism elevates the individual and freedom to the center of his interests. For him, man must be freed from arbitrary authorities in order to obey the laws voted by the assembly and agreed by all. He must also be able to express his opinions and dispose of his property as he sees fit.

Unlike Marxism, liberalism believes that it is necessary to limit the role of the state. Protecting the rights and security of its citizens, ensuring that no individual or group oppresses its fellow citizens is the space where most Liberals want to keep the government.

For liberalism, the nation is central. Ethnic, religious, cultural or political affiliations must be subordinated to it. Freedom of the press, freedom to adhere to a religion or not, self-fulfillment, entrepreneurship, independence, are among its main themes. From the practical point of view, liberalism calls capitalism, that is, the will to use human labor not only to satisfy the needs of consumers and to achieve social justice, but also to create profits. it is this desire to generate unlimited profits, which leads to continuous and exponential progress.

Freedom without slavery

Spiritual Genesis (Christianity, Stoicism)

Crise : état structurel de l'économie capitaliste libérale Luc Fayard

The first who had the idea of ​​conceiving a world without slaves, can be considered the spiritual fathers of liberalism. Under this criterion, Cynic and Stoic philosophies, like Christianity, belong to the foundations of liberal thought. The generous and egalitarian ideas of the early Christians marked a real rupture with all previous religious thoughts. This spark has given rise to the concept of the individual (ontologically speaking), to man taken as an end in himself.

Around the same time, these same innovative and humanist ideas emerged in philosophy.

In 61: Petronius affirms that the slaves are also men.
In 64: Seneca proclaims the equality of all men, including slaves.
In 170: Marc Aurele orders to treat humanly Christians and slaves in the Roman Empire.

Many attempts were made to free man from the yoke of man (for example, in 1533: Pope Paul III condemned all forms of present and future slavery).
It was necessary, however, to await the French revolution so that a decree of the Convention would abolish slavery in all the colonies.
After a Napoleonic reestablishment, the definitive and global ban on this shameful practice, will emerge on 10 December 1948. The 58 Member States constituting the General Assembly of the United Nations then adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris at the Palais de Chaillot.

Finally, Article 4 stipulated: No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade are prohibited in all their forms.

Obviously, some pockets of slavery persist here or there. Evidently, modern slave-owners are still at work. They use their great perversion to take advantage of slaves (third and fourth worlds) while remaining within the limits of the law. Yet, a break has definitively settled between the ancient world and the contemporary world.

Theoretical Genesis John Locke, Adam Smith

History of Liberal Practices

contemporary liberalism benefits the rich; and no one else. G. K Chesterton

If Chesterton's invective is exaggerated, she points to a reality. Liberalism (as its philosophy supports) actually benefits the poor. But he profits them in the manner of the remains left to the swine by the rich. It is not a conscious desire to act for the good of man in general.
The human whole derives some benefits from liberalism by repercussion. Benefits with all the consequences of unconscious evolutions.

The profusion of objects for example, improves the comfort of the greatest number. But the engine of this profusion is the personal enrichment of the few dominants of the market. As long as the motor of this quest remains the instinct or the drive, the object will be tainted and the men will suffer a number of consequences.

For example, to increase profits, the drive can degrade the quality of the object. As long as it sells, it can neglect the principles of ecology. It can target consumer dependence. It can trample underfoot all principles of morality and ethics ... We must also take into account the natural degradation of things as they advance in time (the wear and tear of time).

This principle is valid for all putting ideologies into practice. We have seen this with capitalism and with communism. The systems end up corrupting in the long run. In my opinion, we must look to our animal past to find the origin of the degradation of liberalism since the 80s. Indeed, the tendency to omnipotence irresistibly leads the dominant group to lock (corrupt, in the case of the liberal democracies) all disputes. To muffle all criticisms and to impose his views on the whole.

The mechanisms of perversion.

The mechanisms of corruption are simple. They are identical to those practiced by one individual to subjugate another.

a / Terror, fear, violence, allow the psychopath to put someone under slavery. These same mechanisms allow a dictatorship to impose its rule over a whole people.

b / Seduction, perversion, humiliation, degradation of the image of others, stress, the impediment to think about one's condition. The guilt of rest, the stimulation of pleasures and impulses, the demand for veneration ... allow a narcissistic pervert to alienate his victim without realizing it. This same mechanism allowed the current market liberalization to alienate man without his realizing it.

Irremediably, liberalism (like all other political systems) evolves towards this omnipotence. Although he started his life with good intentions and was well guided by ethics and legislation, he never stopped breaking this framework. To make breaches there to free themselves from them and to slip towards the all-powerful.
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