What is Classical Liberalism?

What is classical liberalism?

Its a set of ideas that places the freedom of the individual as its central feature.

Classical liberalists disagree about many things, but they agree on ten 10 core principles.

Dr. Nigel Ashford explains the 10 core principles of the classical liberal & libertarian view of society and the proper role of government:

1) Liberty as the primary political value

2) Individualism

3) Skepticism about power

4) Rule of Law

5) Civil Society

6) Spontaneous Order

7) Free Markets

8) Toleration

9) Peace

10) Limited Government

1. Liberty is the primary political value. When it comes to deciding what to do politically, what should the government do? Classical liberals have one clear standard — does does it increase or does it reduce the freedom of the individual. The government should only act to prevent harm to others.

2. Individualism. The individual is more important than the collective. We should not sacrifice the interests of individuals for what some people argue is the common good.

3. Skepticism about Power. Power is the ability to get other people to do what you want that otherwise they wouldn’t do. Classical liberals believe that individual is the best judge of their own interests. Other people should not force them to do things that they do not want to do.

4. Rule of Law. This is the idea that there are some higher principles by which we should examine what government does. Classical liberals believe that certain principles of the Rule of Law should be applied to what every government does anywhere in the world. A classic example is equality before the law. People should be treated the same regardless of their race, or gender, or sexual orientation.

5. Civil Society. Civil society are those voluntary organizations that exist between the individual and the state. Classic liberals believe that most social problems can be more effectively dealt with through these voluntary organizations, like the family, like the church, like charitable organizations. Because they have the knowledge about the individuals which they are dealing with. Civil society is much more effective than government bureaucracies and inflexible rules that can’t change depending on people’s individual circumstances. So the civil society can do many of the things we now look to for the welfare state to do.

6. Spontaneous Order. Order, means the existence of regularity and predictability. When people are making decisions of what to do, they need to be able to predict what the results …should be. Many people seem to assume that order requires some institutions, somebody to manipulate and organize things. Classical liberals don’t believe that. They believe that order can arise spontaneously. People through their voluntary interaction create the rules by which people can live by. A classic example is that of language. Nobody invented the English language. It arose in terms of people communicating with each other. And yet certain rules have applied through that process. We don’t need people to plan our lives.

7. Free Markets. Economic exchange should be left to voluntary activity between individuals. Government should not tell people what to wear to work, how to save, what to build, what to produce. This should be left to voluntary interaction by people. You need private property to be able to do that, and you need to ensure that when there are disputes, they can be peacefully resolved. But history shows us that leaving things to free markets rather than government planning or organization increases prosperity, reduces poverty, increases jobs, provides goods that people want to buy.

8. Toleration. Toleration is the belief that one should not interfere with things of which one disapproves. Toleration does not mean that you allow people to do things because you agree with it, because you think it is a good thing. It is a question of having certain moral principles. I think this action is wrong, but I will not try and force my opinions, for example, through government, to stop the things that I disapprove of. A classic case of that for classical liberals, is free speech. People should be allowed to say things of which we strongly disapprove. We’re tolerating things even though we dislike and disapprove it.

9. Peace. Peace is a state where we can go about our business without violence or war. That’s best achieved, according to classical liberals, not by interfering in other countries. In other words, they favour a non interventionist foreign policy. Their view in terms of our interactions with other nations is based on what’s commonly called the four freedoms. There should be free movement of capital and labor, goods and services. And I could add the free movement of ideas as well.

10. Limited Government. There are very few things which the government should do. The goal of the government is simply to protect our life, liberty, and property. And anything beyond that is not justifiable. A strictly limited government.