Liberals are adherents of the political philosophy of liberalism, which advocates for the individual freedom above all things. Conservatives follow a current of thought called conservatism, which mainly advocates the maintenance of traditions in society.
These two ideologies have different purposes, they may oppose each other in some aspects, but they also agree in others.
The main difference between liberals and conservatives lies in the fact that liberals seek changes that favor individual freedom so that a society can progress. Conservatives prefer to maintain norms and traditions to defend collective values.
Another difference is that conservatives are protectionist and defend nationalism, in accordance with their ideas of maintaining national values and identity. Liberals reject any kind of trade restrictions. and advocate internationalism.
However, over the years, some conservatives have adopted ideas from liberalism, especially in the economic sphere. Both liberals and conservatives defend the capitalist socioeconomic system and together oppose other ideologies such as socialism and communism.
An example of the common ideas espoused by conservative liberalism, which is how the merger of the two currents is known, is the defense of private property over public property.
Consequently, it is very common nowadays to see the union of these two ideologies in the political arena, just as one can see the union between many other political philosophies.
| Liberals | Conservatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Position on the role of the State |
Non-interventionist rule of law, guaranteeing individual freedom and the equality of all before the law. |
State that acts whenever society needs it. |
|
In the face of economic policy |
Free trade where there are no regulations to encourage private initiative. |
Regulations to protect domestic production. |
|
In the face of public expenditures |
Reduction of government spending and its assistance programs. |
The government should ensure the welfare of the collective whenever necessary. |
|
In the face of abortion |
In favor of abortion in certain circumstances. |
Against abortion. |
|
Faced with the rights of homosexuals |
In favor of same-sex marriage and individual rights. |
Against same-sex marriage. |
|
Main representatives |
John Locke (1632-1704). |
Robert Filmer (1588-1653) |
What it is to be a liberal
To be a liberal is to follow liberalism, a doctrine whose fundamental objective is the freedom of the individual, above equality or any other value.
The intention of liberals is to create an environment where all members of society have the same opportunities to develop and to be able to generate in a competitive environment the progress of society.
Liberals advocate a rule of law guided by a constitution and with division of powers, which will be defined through elections where free people participate. Thus they prevent the arbitrary exercise of power.
Furthermore, the function of the State will be to guarantee the freedom, rights, justice and security of the people, without interfering in the private sphere. In this context, the equality of all before the law is established.
Regarding liberalism as an economic philosophy, proposes that there should be no intervention in the economy by the State, but only to guarantee the legal framework within which the free market economy can develop. Private initiative should also be encouraged so that it can prosper.
Currently, liberalism is present in the governments of many countries, although they do not always present it in the same way, since various mergers and alterations have arisen within the liberal political movements.
What it is to be a conservative
When we talk about conservatives we refer to those people who advocate the maintenance of traditions, values, and religion in society in order to preserve stability.
The family welfare and religion are fundamental pillars of conservatism as a political current, from there arise the approaches in the political and social area.
Conservatism resists change and innovation, preferring to maintain order and political and social institutions without alterations.
The most radical position of this political philosophy is known as reactionary conservatism. This position maintains the same principles, but is more opposed to change and seeks to recover values that have been lost.
In the economic sphere, conservatives are protectionist and nationalist.They defend national production and the right to private property.
Conservatism depends on the temporal and geographical context where it is produced, since it has modified its principles throughout history to represent the majority culture of the environment where it is developed.
Because of this, it is common to see conservative groups that defend the maintenance of the present political conditions, and conservative groups that seek to rescue the previous conditions.
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