Liberalism is not only a philosophical and economic trend, but also a political ideology. It is based on the principle of inviolability of individual freedoms, which are the basis of society.
The ideal model of a liberal society assumes the existence of individual freedom for everyone, limited power of church and state, the rule of law, private property and free enterprise.
Liberalism arose in response to the unlimited power of monarchs and refuted the then dominant theory of the divine origin of power. In contrast, supporters of liberalism developed the concept of a social contract, which contained their own version of the emergence of power and the state. According to her, the population voluntarily transferred part of the rights to the state in exchange for ensuring their own security, individual rights and freedoms. Thus, the state was assigned the minimum functions that can be aimed at achieving these goals. Liberals insisted that it is not kinship and divine destiny that should be decisive for the occupation of positions of power. In their opinion, the source of the formation of power should be exclusively the people.
That is why he saw a democratic political regime as the optimal form of implementing the principles of liberalism. Only he can ensure the pluralism of opinions and political movements, the representation of the interests of all sectors of society, including the minority, as well as the transparency of state power. These positions were held in the field of state structure by both early classical liberals and modern supporters of the trend.
Their views differ only in the role of the state in the economy. The early liberals saw economic freedom as the highest value. They believed that the state only hurts by interfering in market relations. In their opinion, the only function of the state in the economy should be to create conditions for a free market.
Modern liberals are more tolerant of government participation in the economy. They believe that the role of the state is to create equal conditions for all social strata, the need to bridge the gap between rich and poor, and regulate the labor market. The state should help the unemployed and guarantee free education and health care.
The merits of liberal ideology include the development of the principle of natural human rights. These include the right to life, liberty and property. And the possession of natural rights does not depend on belonging to a particular class, but is given at birth. As liberal ideology developed, its views on individualism changed. Initially, its supporters perceived it in an extreme form and believed that individual interests outweigh public ones in importance. In the future, views on this issue changed and the liberals recognized the public good as a priority.
In general, liberal ideology has had a major impact on the political process and largely determined the face of the current democratic states and their basic principles.
