Online Custom «Liberalism as a Political Ideology» Essay Sample

Countries or states in the world are ruled and guided by a set of doctrines recognized by the people. Political ideologies exist to offer guidance and explanation to the way of dealing with people in a given nation. Moreover, political ideology describes the set of beliefs or doctrines that a certain public group in a state has in common in order to structure the basis of the economic, political, or other organisms to guide the politics, government, and diplomacy.

The authors of Political Ideologies, Mathew Festenstein and Michael Kenny offer an extensive collection of extracts that encompass the activities of renowned intellectuals, politicians, and writers and provide explanation to significant ideologies in modern politics. They address historical origin of political ideologies and their contemporary transformations reasoning why are significant. Nevertheless, the ideas about liberalism that were discussed in the Political Ideologies appealed to me most of all. Therefore, this essay will focus on the key aspects that surround the acts of liberalism in a government. Besides, the work will discuss the rationales provided on different Political ideologies.

The authors argue that terms like liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, and socialism act as labels that identify how the government should operate and run within a given society. According to Festenstein, a political ideology should provide people with the perspective of the proper roles of the elected officials, the priority of the public policies, and also offer a guideline on the arrangement of various elements of the society (Festenstein & Kenny, 2005). Liberalism is practiced by various nations; its popularity across the globe is attributed by political ideology due to the freedom that liberalism introduces.

The authors of the book, Matthew and Michael argue that the central concern of Liberalism is described as individual freedom (Festenstein & Kenny, 2005). The book defines liberalism as a political ideology that at its central core denounces acts of economic and social inequality. Different writers disagree on the interpretation of the liberalism ideology based on what forms of political action are pursued. Contemporary political theorists, as illustrated in the book, meet the dilemma about whose individual freedom should be defended. One of them Immanuel Kant played a significant role in the individual realization of liberty that provided a foundation to the contemporary concept of liberalism. The scholar focused on the makeover of the traditional view of freedom that arises from the usual enlightenment of the society (Festenstein & Kenny, 2005).

According to Festenstein and Kenny, however, liberalism is desired by people for the ability to live with freedom, openness, and tolerance towards each other in a society. The rationality of human beings makes them pursue a liberal political ideology where they can recognize their needs and promote self-interest. The equality of opportunities within a society is illustrated by liberals as essential to the growth of the community. Thus, to achieve balance, the government through its organs should eliminate discriminatory practices in a society. The liberalism political ideology usually advocates for intense public policies that work to reduce the inequalities concerning the access to job opportunities and public services (Festenstein & Kenny, 2005). The classical liberalism is explained by the author as opposed to the modern liberalism that emphasizes the welfare of individuals in the society.

The scholar further explains how the social conditions in the society are the result of an individual’s choice and actions. The explanatory point of view of liberalism helps in the establishing of doctrines or a belief system that people accept to follow taking into consideration the principles that define their choices and actions. Therefore, the liberal societies set rules and regulations according to what the people of a nation regard as ethical or unethical, thus protecting the civil rights of the people (Festenstein & Kenny, 2005).

Besides, Festenstein and Kenny offers an evaluative aspect of the liberal political ideology that distinguishes it from the conservative and other political ideologies. The Liberalists believe that the society works optimally when the individuals within the state are guaranteed freedom to exercise their rights provided they don't harm or act in a manner as to violate the rights of others (Festenstein & Kenny, 2005). The author claims that the freedom of pursuing one's interests gives satisfaction to members of a nation, thus developing the feeling of pride about their country as well as ensuring the growth of the nation.

Generally, the rationality of human beings gives them the desire to pursue self-interests. People in the society should get treatment as equal individuals with the freedom to make choices provided the civil liberty is preserved. The freedom given to people in liberal nations is centered on the progressive values of the society. The government in tolerant states is entitled to the liability of implementing the public procedures that ensure that the residents of the country get equal treatment in the right to access quality education, affordable health care, and social safety net programs (Festenstein & Kenny, 2005).

The programmatic approach to liberalism is highlighted in the book by the promotion of individual liberty that is founded on the classical liberalism and welfare pursuits in contemporary liberalism (Festenstein & Kenny, 2005). The political theorist firmly holds the belief in the acknowledgment of affirmative action programs, protection of health and the safety of workers as well as the grant of rights for unions to organize peaceful strikes against poor work conditions.

Indeed, I support the about the liberalism as an ideology ideas given in the book. The authors tend to bring different points about liberalism. For instance, they consider enthusiasm as classical and contemporary concepts of liberalism. Moreover, they mention that the equality promoted by the liberal society in access to social services excludes discrimination encountered in authoritarian systems of government. The scholars further posit that every human being is motivated by self-interest and protection of this feeling by Liberalism that ensures individual satisfaction and fulfillment of what one chooses to pursue.