| LIBERALISM
This is a kind of attitude, philosophy or movement that has its basic concern the development of personal freedom and social progress. Liberalism and democracy are now usually thought to have common aims, but in the past many liberals considered democracy unhealthy because it encouraged mass participation in politics. Nevertheless, liberalism eventually became identified with movements to change the social order through the further extension of democracy. A distinction must therefore be made between liberalism, in which social change is conceived of as gradual, flexible, and adaptive, and radicalism, in which social change is seen as fundamental and based on new principles of authority.
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| RADICALISM
This is a kind of movement that advocates extreme change of political and social institutions.
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| CONSERVATISM
This is a general state of mind that is averse to rapid change and innovation and strives for balance and order, while avoiding extremes. Originally conservatism arose as a reaction against the Age of Enlightenment. Conservatives advocated belief in faith over reason, tradition over free inquiry, hierarchy over equality, collective values over individualism, and divine or natural law over secular law. At a given time in a given society, conservatism emphasizes the merits of the status quo and endorses the prevailing distribution of power, wealth, and social standing. Political conservative thought, however, has reconciled itself with constitutional democracy and individual rights as well as with prudent and orderly social and economic change.
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27. In any society there are people who are very conservative in their views and beliefs, those who consider themselves liberals and those who’d like to radically change the system. There are also, however, a great number of people who may be conservative in one aspect, but quite liberal in some other aspects, and even revolutionary in some of their actions. Here are John Doe’s social and political attitudes. Read them and say:
· what they tell us about him
· whether he is conservative in his beliefs
· whether he is liberal in his social and political attitudes.
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| No one should be allowed to buy privileges in education or medical care for his family.
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| The minority should be free to criticize majority decisions.
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| Too much is paid in tax by people.
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| National minorities should have the right to govern themselves.
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| True democracy is limited in many countries because of the special privileges enjoyed by business and industry.
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| Men are not created equal but they are given equal opportunities.
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| Men are not created equal; it is obvious that some are better than others.
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| Wealth is not regulated by regulation and instruction, but by ordinary enterprising people.
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| People are not just pawns on a chessboard to be moved at the whim of politicians, they can influence their destiny.
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| Democracy means limitation of the power of government and giving people the greatest freedom.
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| A strong rule of law is the essential underpinning of democracy.
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| All social planning leads to human regimentation.
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| We should recognise that we have duties to society as well as rights.
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| No society can be called civilized which does not have some formal national health service, paid largely from taxes.
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| The welfare state gives too much help to people who refuse to do a proper day’s work.
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| Private profit is the main motif for hard work.
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| The police should have the right to listen into private telephone conversation when investigating crimes.
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| Life is not perfect today but it is much better than it used to be.
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| The welfare state tends to destroy the individual.
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| The less government, the better.
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| Business competition is necessary for national welfare.
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| Most strikes are caused by bad management.
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| Trade unions do more harm than good to industrial progress.
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