What EXACTLY is a LIBERAL? Dictionary definition NOT opinion?

Question

It is far too easy to catagorise and dismiss people as being...Liberal or Comservative...how about defining one's terms just for clarity

Answer 1

lib·er·al Pronunciation (lbr-l, lbrl)
adj.
1.
a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
c. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
d. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
2.
a. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
b. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.
5.
a. Archaic Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
b. Obsolete Morally unrestrained; licentious.
n.
1. A person with liberal ideas or opinions.
2. Liberal A member of a Liberal political party.

Answer 2

I personally detest labels; I think they're weak and overused. I normally vote for the MAN; not the party.
In the midterms I did vote for primarily Democrats, but I see myself more as an "independent" most of the time.

I think everybody has their own individual political and philosophical agenda/value system.

Here are some of my strong issues. You put them in whatever pigeon hole suits you. Doesn't change the issue or my feelings.

- Government should not be trying to legislate morality in any way, whether it involves marriage or "abstinence." What consenting adults do is their business; not the government's. I think that gays should have to experience all the joy AND despair of marriage. We haven't done so well as heteros; why should they do any worse? The average time frame for divorce is just short of 8 years into the relationship.

- Teens should be given information about and access to contraception. Our teen birth rate is the highest on the planet, and 9 X that of the Netherlands, where they educate teens about sex, putting the emphasis on pregnancy - not sex.

- We need a national health care plan. The other major indultrialized nations have one.

- Pharmaceutical companies should be fined heavily for attempts to prevent the manufacture of affordable generic drugs. Google that and see their heinous record.

Answer 3

It's very easy to get the dictionary definition . That, however, doesn't necessarily ACCURATELY describe the Liberal Mind-set of today . In fact, it's not even close to accurate . The Liberals of 10, 20, and 30 or even 40 years ago, are absolutely no comparison to the hateful Liberal of today . Perhaps we either need to re-define 'Liberal' or coin a new term .

Answer 4

The heart of liberalism deals with its view on human nature and man's potential. Liberalism is a synthesis of several 19th-century scientific, political, moral, and economic philosophies. At its core, liberalism assumes humans are good, and hopes that we can be turned into angels; for it is the goal of liberalism to achieve the perfect human society, utopia.

There are aspects of liberalism that stress and emphasize individualism, political freedom, and allow for a free society; these qualities of liberalism come from its moral and political roots.

The religious aspects of liberalism stress tolerance of others, being open to other ideas, to be peaceful, loving, caring and generally goodhearted. Anyone, who is not these things are not truly reflecting the philosophy of liberalism.

There is also a very dark potential to liberalism, and that is, at its worse it can tear apart society at every level in its dogmatic mission to change the very nature of humanity. The dark side of liberalism will seek to take control of society, to force on all people its vision; they will enact laws telling us what we can and can not do, they will not violate our political freedoms, but they will try to dominate and control our behaviors. They think they are right and that their quest is noble. This belief can become almost like a religious idea, and as such will blind them to the truth, that they may in fact be wrong. This potential dark side to liberalism can cause great harm to society if unchecked by conservatives.

You see, liberalism’s scientific opinion about human nature comes from a branch of science called behaviorism. The lessons liberalism has chosen to learn from behaviorism, is that to change an individual human, or for that matter the entire race of man, all you must do is create the right environment. Liberalism rejects most genetic explanations of human behavior, and instead opts to believe we are highly malleable.

In the end liberals will stress change because they need to change human nature.

Answer 5

It relies upon on the custom better so budo persons interpret as martial arts or the way of the warrior, thats now no longer completely good, together as the character for Do skill technique the character for bu is formed by skill of skill of two symbols, one thank you to renounce, interior yet another that represents shield, hence, bu, thank you to stop a conflict or peace. In chinese language the kanji bu additionally way peace. So yet yet another translation for budo is the way of peace. And no you wont in looking this in a dictionary, this took a number of study, rather the member on right here sensei scandal started me off with he while he first known this in one greater question.

Answer 6

Look up liberal in the dictionary. It is under the "L" section.

Answer 7

Being Liberal is being one with an open mind.

Answer 8

There is no definition for what is in the minds of people on the left.The closest thing i can come up with is wrong and ignorant.

Answer 9

" World wide political ideology which holds that "LIBERTY" is the primary political value..."....Unfortunately,there are so many shallow minds that would confine this to only the US,another example of mis-information

Answer 10

liberal and conservative in today's sense means a certain ideology

liberal actually means wanting change
conservative means wanting to preserve

so technically, if demos come to power, the libs become cons, and cons become libs