Original scientific paper
Liberalism Between the Terror of Freedom and the Terror of Equality
Davor Rodin
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The author analyses the ambivalence of liberalism regarding political and economic freedoms. While classical liberals advocated individual freedom versus aristocratic state, modern liberals advocate the controlled rule of the majority by the means of the state and the law. Since their original idea of the freedom of private ownership led to the creation of boundless wealth, they have sought ways of limiting state ownership and establishing an intermediate category of ownership. However, the advocacy of intermediate ownership and the intermediate state does not suffice for a success at the polls, so liberals have adopted the conservatice concept of the protection of public good from the fury of private interests. Today's marginalization of liberal parties has not prevented liberal ideas to penetrate into the programmes of all democratic parties. Hence, liberalism has become more of a cultural achievement and less a viable political option.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
110921
URI
Publication date:
5.9.1994.
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