The Course of Liberalism

The Course Of Liberalism


Liberalism first came about in ancient Greece but was extended and developed in Western Europe from the 17th to the 20th century. The views of separation of powers, religious toleration, freedom of thought, and the belief in the future progress of humanity had their beginnings in France and were derived from the French philosophes such as Montesquieu. While the liberal idea of natural rights was brought to us by philosophe John Locke from England. Liberalism of that time extended some democratic values and rational ideas that also played a major role in the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. The French Revolution is where liberal ideas flourished and the oppressed bourgeoisie finally got some needed changes in their government. The Industrial Revolution extended liberal thought into business and the economy with the application of “laissez-faire” in the industry. Liberalism also had different measures of importance in differe...