what is a liberal?

Question

i keep hearin about them lately but i never knew what one truely was!

no really...what is the true meaning?

Answer 1

Someone who has common sense and is not so easily led like a sheep to the slaughter house. I consider myself as independant.

Answer 2

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.

They have a good philosophy, they just don't tend to follow it competely and become more sociallist than liberal. Since that would be a system reform.

They also aren't very tolerant of opposing views.

Note: Not all liberals are like that and I think the tolerance tranferance may come when the socialist transferance occurs.

Answer 3

just answered this same question yesterday with this:

Liberals believe in the ability for people to make their own decisions, rather than being coerced by faith based laws.

They believe the government should run a country based on common sense and what is good for everyone and their rights.

They believe that faith is faith, not fact, and since everyone's faith slightly differs, the government should not make laws that restrict people to any one of them.

They believe in separation of church and state to prevent the government from promoting any religion over another, otherwise it conflicts with freedom of religion.

they also believe that moderate regulation of the economy keeps the economy from being a self destructive system, or keeps it from destroying society and the family by over-exploitation of the employee and resources.

Liberals believe in not punishing the good people that have hit rough times, just because of the very few rotten apples that will always take advantage of any and all situations they can.

Most of them believe corporate handouts are not what boosts an economy, because an employer will add jobs when the demand for their product is high, that is created by people having the money to spend on it.

in reality, the "lib" that right-wing extremists demonize, are anyone who disagrees with them on any issue, including real conservatives, that have been denounced as "libs" for not agreeing with such extreme agendas.

And the final thing that makes a liberal a liberal, is the idea that all men are created equal, and freedom should not be based on the size of your equity.

Answer 4

Liberalism refers to a broad array of related ideas and theories of government which advocate individual liberty. Liberalism has its roots in the Western Age of Enlightenment.

Broadly speaking, liberalism emphasizes individual rights and equality of opportunity. A liberal society is characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on power, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy, free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected. In the 21st century, this usually means liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law.

Liberalism rejected many foundational assumptions that dominated most earlier theories of government, such as the Divine Right of Kings, hereditary status, and established religion. Social progressivism, the belief that traditions do not carry any inherit value and social pratices ought to be continously adjusted for the greater benefit of humanity, is a common component of liberal ideology. Fundamental human rights that all liberals support include the right to life, liberty, and property.

Since freedom and equality do not always go hand in hand, some liberal philosophies stress one of these ideals over the other. Classical liberalism emphasizes free private enterprise, individual property rights, laissez-faire economic policy, and freedom of contract, and opposes the welfare state. Classical liberals support equality before the law and hold that economic inequality, arising naturally from competition in the free market, does not justify forced wealth redistribution. [4] New liberals advocate a greater degree of government influence to protect individual rights (in a broad sense), often in the form of anti-discrimination laws. New liberals support universal education, and many also support welfare, including benefits for the unemployed, housing for the homeless, and medical care for the sick, all supported by progressive taxation.

Answer 5

Liberals are generally progressive people, that tend to want sweeping changes, perhaps not immediately, but soon. In America, they tend to favor increased governmental regulations and programs, particularly at a federal level. They tend to believe in personal freedoms and equality. An extreme liberal would be called a radical, or in the United States, might be considered a Communist.

The opposite of a liberal is a conservative. They don't mind change, but they like it to be slow and steady rather than sudden and jarring. They favor privatization and the removal of governmental regulations, believing that an economy flourishes best which is bothered the least. Conservatives believe in different types of personal freedoms, usually concerning people's rights to use their own judgement rather than relying on laws to tell them what to do. An extreme conservative would be called a reactionary, or in America perhaps an Anarchist.

Answer 6

If you're sick and tired of all the mud flinging from the two main parties, then you may consider the liberal thought.

Libertarianism is a political philosophy maintaining that all persons are the absolute owners of their own lives, and should be free to do whatever they wish with their persons or property, provided they allow others the same liberty.

Sounds nice, huh?

Answer 7

JFK said it best...



"If by 'Liberal' they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then we are not that kind of 'Liberal.' But if by a 'Liberal' they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a 'Liberal,' then I'm proud to say I'm a 'Liberal."'


John F. Kennedy
September 14, 1960

Answer 8

a liberal is only another political party. they are also refered to as "left wing". in the news you probably here them talk about liberals. the stereo type is usually those who are pro-choice, pro-same sex marriage ,anti war. but its just a stereo type. supposedly the main objective with a liberal is to be open minded and to accept the ideas of others (even though when it comes to christian beliefs they seem to build up a wall). a liberal is basically the opposite of a conservative...u know whatt that means..right?

Answer 9

Liberals are for the "everyday people". Conservatives are the picky ones who favor the minority.

Answer 10

Here is the dictionary definition:
lib·er·al /ˈlɪbərəl, ˈlɪbrəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[lib-er-uhl, lib-ruhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective 1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2. (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.
3. of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.
4. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.
7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.
10. given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation.
11. not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.
12. of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts.
13. of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman.
–noun 14. a person of liberal principles or views, esp. in politics or religion.
15. (often initial capital letter) a member of a liberal party in politics, esp. of the Liberal party in Great Britain.



My personal definition is a person who aims for forward motion, looking toward the future more than the past. Perhaps we should look at the past a bit more, but perhaps the conservatives should look to the future a bit more as well. No side is perfect. :-)

P.S. You will see a lot of insulting comments from both sides here. I refuse to use those comments myself, as these comments make both sides look bad. Please disregard them, as they color things.