Mordern Civilization (Essay Sample)

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Liberalism
In my own view, the fundamental value of modern civilization is liberalism. Liberalism is based on the idea that men are born and remain to be free and equal in rights, and although social distinctions may occur they are only founded upon the general good (Rosen et al 394). Therefore, liberalism is a political philosophy that is founded on two principles of liberty and equality. It is a political or social philosophy that advocates the freedom of individuals, representative systems of government, free modification of political, social, or economic institutions to assure unrestricted development of human endeavor, and government assures of individual rights and civil liberties (Rosen et al 310).
Liberalism became the political principle first during the age of enlightenment as it became a common principle among the western world philosophers and economists. Liberalism rejected the existing notions of hereditary privilege, state religion, absolute monarchy, and divine right to kings. Philosophers like Locke rejected traditions that surrounded liberalism arguing that each man has freedom or had a natural right to life, liberty, and property. Thus, governments and institutions should not violate these fundamental human rights on the notions of social construct. Liberals are opposed to the idea of absolutism in government and support the idea of representative democracy and the rule of the law (Rosen et al 336). As a concept of modern civilization, prominent revolutionaries during the French and American Revolution used the ideas of liberalism to justify what they considered tyrannical rule.
After the French revolution, liberalism spread widely and many liberal governments were established across Europe and America. In the early days classical liberalism that stressed on liberty was opposed by conservatism and later it survived emerging opponents of fascism and communism. This led the ideas of liberalism to spread further during World War I and World War II. As such, as classical liberalism took root in Europe and North America, social liberalism that emphasized equality became a fundamental component on creating welfare state. In modern political systems, liberal parties keep on exercising power and influence around the world (Rosen et al, 348).
Liberalism led to the new principle of neo-liberalism where creative destruction and demolition of the old order makes it possible for liberals and economic actors to make rational choices for the creation of market value. Min Goo Lee argues that a neo-liberal state is seen as challenging the status quo and instituting new state of structure where obstacles to free interaction of resources including government regulations and public assets are dismantled. The neo-liberals are for the idea that identifying and dismantling obstacles to free economic interaction it is possible to create a self-regulating order different from the one characterized by constraint and outdated ideologies of absolutism and traditional conservatism. In fact, liberals demonstrate a wide range of views on the understanding of these principles, but generally they support and emphasize the general ideas such as freedom of speech, freedom of press, free markets, civil rights, democratic societies and international cooperation (Puddington). These ideas are readily experienced and observ...