IntroductionMy assignment will examine what makes liberalism an ideology. Over the years, liberalism has evolved, taking on new ideas and becoming a fundamental part of human life. This task will focus on two aspects: what is an ideology? And liberalism. The liberalism aspect will focus on the various forms of liberalism that have appeared over time. The Enlightenment was a key period in the eighteenth century in which liberals wrote important writings on freedom, this assignment will explore the key thinkers of the Enlightenment who formed their own vision of liberalism. My work will also examine John Locke and Adam Smith, the importance of their writings and how they inspired future liberals. Adam Smith continued to inspire classical liberalism, this assignment will examine classical liberalism and how it continued to inspire a new form of liberalism called modern or social liberalism. Liberalism has evolved slowly over time, and this work will explore the changes that liberalism has adopted along the way. The research for this assignment will establish what makes liberalism an ideology. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay According to the Oxford Dictionary an ideology is “A system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy” .” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2015). In the world of politics, political parties often build their core around an ideology, but this is not always the case. Over time an ideology can change depending on one's interpretation of that ideology. Political parties that are based on one ideology may, over time, adopt a completely different ideology than the one they started with. The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a period in Europe during the 18th century, in which philosophers, social scientists, and scientists advocated the doctrine of reason and individual progress. In his essay “What is the Enlightenment?” (1784), the German philosopher Immanuel Kant summed up the motto of the time in the following terms: “Dare to know! Have the courage to use your reason!” (History.com, 2009). Barbara Goodwin, author of Using Political Ideas, writes, “Liberalism, utilitarianism, and classical economics were all part of a homogeneous intellectual worldview that developed in the time of the Enlightenment.” (Goodwin, B. 2014, p. 54). The Enlightenment produced many political thinkers including Francis Bacon, John Locke, René Descartes, Adam Smith, and Sir Isaac Newton. John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher and political theorist. Locke made a fundamental contribution to the development of liberalism and laid much of the foundation for the Enlightenment. “His political theory of government by consent of the governed to protect life, liberty, and property” (History.com, 2009). Locke believed in natural rights which are the conditions we need to protect and preserve our lives according to the natural laws given to us by God. These laws give us the right to liberty and the acquisition of property without interference. (Gray, J. 1995, p. 13-14). Locke advocated for the rights of individuals, limiting the power of government to grant greater freedom to citizens, constitutional government rather than arbitrary government, and tolerance of most views and religions. Liberalism is a “political doctrine that aims to protect and strengthen the freedom of citizens”. The individual becomes the central problem of politics. Liberals typically believe that government is necessary to protect individuals from being harmed by others; but they also recognize that the government itself cannot represent athreat to freedom. (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2015). Liberalism derives from the early Enlightenment thinkers of the 17th and 18th centuries, political philosophers such as John Locke considered the "father of classical liberalism" and Adam Smith also nicknamed the "father" of modern economics". David Johnston, one of the authors of the Encyclopaedia of Political Theory, states: “The Enlightenment produced a new branch of liberal thought that soon came to compete with and sometimes obscure its original growth.” (Johnston, D. 2010, p. 796-802). Johnston makes an interesting point about Locke and other early Enlightenment thinkers that their liberal constitutionalist position was replaced in part by a rationalist faith that envisioned the achievement of ambitious social goals. (Johnston, D. 2010, p. 796-802). The liberalism that early Enlightenment thinkers wrote about has clearly evolved over time as each individual adds their own interpretation and vision. “Liberalism is the label for a diverse family of views and practices that began to take shape in England and Europe in the wake of the Protestant Reformation, emerged in several countries as a powerful force in the late 18th and 19th centuries, and they now dominate political politics. discourse in much of the world." (Johnston, D. 2010, p. 796-802). Adam Smith was a Scottish philosopher and economist and is perhaps best known as the author of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Wealth of Nations 1776). During the 18th century, national wealth was judged by the nation's supplies of gold and silver. Imports were considered harmful because they had to be paid for, which required giving up wealth. This is an old view of economics, which kept countries in check with protectionist rules to prevent the spending of wealth. (Adam Smith Institute, 2015). Smith's 1776 book Wealth of Nations called on governments to encourage the economic activity of individuals through a legal framework that protected both individual rights and interests. “His ideas were based strongly on liberal and rationalist assumptions about human nature and made a powerful contribution to the debate about the desirable role of government within civil society.” (Heywood, A. 2012, p. 47). “Originally developed by radical philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and non-liberal thinkers such as Henri de Saint-Simon, the idea of ​​a regulatory state was particularly attractive to those liberals who feared that the legitimate rights of individuals might be threatened by social and economic inequality. " (Johnston, D. 2010, p. 796-802). Classical liberalism emerged in the nineteenth century following the writings of Adam Smith. This form of liberalism values ​​limited government, the freedom of individuals, including freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly and of the market. However, classical liberalism has a somewhat negative conception of freedom. The absence of constraints: classical liberals believed that there should be some constraint on individuals by the state, which they considered an evil necessary. Political Ideologies by Andrew Heywood states: “Classical Liberalism – A tradition within liberalism that seeks to maximize the realm of unconstrained individual action, typically by establishing a minimal state and relying on the market economy.” , A. 2012, p. 26). Classical liberalism is composed of a mix of ideas and strategies on how to acquire or defend freedom. There is a certain unity in classical liberalism that is clearly devoted to individualism. Individualism can be described as a political or moral doctrine that celebrates the value of individuality in the human race. (Vincent, A. 1992, p. 29). JohnStuart Mill, a 19th century English philosopher, paints his own picture of freedom that justifies the values ​​of freedom and individuality. Regarding liberty, Mill states “that the only purpose for which power can be legitimately exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” (Heywood, A. 2012, p. 29). Mill was a proponent of utilitarianism, a theory of maximizing the utility of individuals or society developed by Jeremy Bentham. In the modern world liberalism has evolved into a new form which is called modern or social liberalism. John Hobson, Thomas Hill Green and Leonard Hobhouse are the new liberals who generated this new wave of liberalism. These new liberals did not call for free enterprise after seeing the injustice and poverty caused by a free market economy. The new liberals argued that the glaring disparities in wealth were unjust and needed to be redistributed without weakening the market system. This new liberalism recognized that wealth should be distributed more equally for the sake of true freedom, equality, and justice. (Vincent, A. 1992, p. 42). “The welfare state – a state that goes beyond the provision of minimum services such as internal and external security and provides other services, such as health, education and pensions – generally associated with socialism but also with welfare liberalism.” (Goodwin, B. 2014, p. 467). The 20th century gave rise to state intervention in most Western and developing countries. This intervention took the form of social assistance, an attempt by the government to provide support to its citizens by overcoming poverty, disease and illiteracy. (Heywood, A. 2012, p. 56). The classical liberalist John Stuart Mill also wrote about the need for some form of measure to increase welfare, despite opposition to state intervention. According to author Barbara Goodwin, “the milestone in the adaptation of liberal thought to the growth of the welfare state was Hobhouse's book Liberalism (1911)” (Goodwin, B. 2014, p. 63). The 1909 welfare policy of Liberal Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, created a contributory pension scheme and sickness and unemployment benefits for the lowest paid workers. Modern liberals believe that if particular individuals or groups are disadvantaged by their social circumstances, then it is the responsibility of the state to reduce or eliminate these disadvantages in order to create equal opportunities within society. (Heywood, A. 2012, p. 56). These measures can be seen as state intervention, however Leonard Hobhouse argues that “modern liberals could justify the extension of public control on humane grounds. The doctrine of freedom should not prevent the general will from acting, where necessary, for the common good." (Goodwin, B. 2014, p. 63). Conclusion From the evidence obtained during this assignment it is clear that an ideology is a complex idea that implements a system. However, this system changes over time to adapt to the environment and the individuals who use it. Early liberal thinkers during the Enlightenment period shared very similar but different views compared to classical liberals and the same could also be said of modern or social liberals compared to classical liberals. These different visions shape the evolution of liberalism over time. Liberalism is undoubtedly an ideology, in the sense that it supports the common themes of individuality, equality for all within a legal framework, and minimal government to define and enforce the law. In all the different forms of liberalism these fundamental themes are present and constitute the core of liberalism. The period.