Liberalism is the doctrine of freedom

Liberalism is a social movement and socio-political doctrine, the basis of which is the value of human freedom from all spheres of society (spiritual, economic, political, etc.).

Historically, the ideas of liberalism were associated with the attitude of people to property, which determined their social position and the amount of their receipt of possible social benefits.

The very first ideas in which liberalism manifested itself are those of the leaders of Antiquity. First of all, the teaching of Socrates on a just state. Later, the Roman Stoics developed the idea of the universal nature of man and formulated postulates about the inner spiritual freedom of man and natural law.

These thoughts attracted special attention of philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries. The views of Descartes, Spinoza and Milton on the essence of man as a rational and social being, on the state, religion and law became the ideological basis for the further development of European liberalism.

An important trend that influenced the clearer formulation of the postulates and ideas that liberalism was carrying was the Protestant-reform movement. His representatives spoke out with the requirements for giving all people the right to free religion. During this period, the influence of religion began to weaken.

In the conditions of the development of capitalist production and the flowering of scientific knowledge, feudal relations in England and France began to rapidly collapse. Privileges of the aristocracy became more limited, a new social class was gradually forming-the bourgeoisie. All this led to the formation of a new ideology, which had its own system of values. They were embodied in the current, which became known as "liberalism".

This time was characterized by the fact that the thinkers saw the main threat to human freedom in the person of the state. The political credo of liberalism was such principles as the need for constitutional government based on the separation of power into executive, legislative and judicial; Observance of the inalienable human rights to freedom of religion, speech, association in the organization of a political nature.

Freedom was understood not as absolute, but as an opportunity to freely think, choose religion, express personal views, unite in parties, engage in trade, choose rulers and form of government.

The term itself appeared after the first time in Spain in 1812, liberals called the association of people who were preparing the text of the constitution.

In Europe, classical liberalism is connected with the ideas of English political economists, who developed the idea that the economy should be free from state interference. As a direction of philosophical thought, liberalism advocated the development of individual initiative. In economic terms, his ideas justified the need for the development of free trade, pricing, wages, which, if combined, should stimulate competition between individual commodity producers in the market.

Liberalism is not just an intellectual trend. In many respects it would be more correct to call it an economic, sociological and philosophical doctrine.

According to the views of Rousseau and Locke, man has a natural right to freedom, which the state must protect. Supporters of these views were Hume, Kant, Franklin, Jefferson, Condorcet, Montesquieu and others. These ideas are reflected in the Declaration of American Independence of 1776, the Declaration of Human Rights of 1789 and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Liberalism and neoliberalism are closely linked by their key provisions. The latter developed ideas in political economy and philosophy since the 1930s.