HIS241H1 Lecture : HIS241 - October 20.docx
Document Summary
People could reach their best potential when they had the freedom to do whatever the hell they wanted to. Liberalism was a reaction against the excesses of the french revolution. Was primarily an ideology of the middle class. Was the middle classes interpretation the legacies of the transformations that were brought about because of the french revolution. At the heart of liberalism is: liberty: the definition of liberty is what changed what liberalism meant to different people. Because there are so many different definitions of liberalism a description not a definition is what we will look at. Worked on 2 levels: thought and society. The principles underlay the institutions (parliaments, free press) Liberal concept of freedom is the absence of coercion: absence of outside restraint. Allowing the rule of the many does not allow for democracy: can have a tyranny of the majority, can be prevented by protecting the minorities rights against the majority.
