Defining "Liberal"

Some one once asked me, “What does a liberal believe?” Many have noted that the term seems vague and is rarely used these days, except in a divisive context. Webster leads us to the political party definition associating it with the “ideals of individual and economic freedom, grater individual participation in government and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives.” So our history gives evidence of both Republican and Democratic “liberals.” Still unsatisfied, I have attempted to define the essential core of what I understand defines the “liberal” mind. So what do you think?

1. Human nature is an integral part of the larger ecological environmental system of the universe.
2. Humans, as we know them, are part of an evolving development of homo sapiens, and we are in “process.”
3. The achievements we call “civilization’ over the past six thousand years are represented in institutions (social and governmental systems) that are fragile and need constant care and feeding.
4. While individuals can accomplish much, there are great needs that only can be met by cooperative enterprises such as voluntary associations, governments, etc.
5. At times governments can accomplish what individuals cannot – both for the good and for destructive purposes.
6. Our futures, both as individuals and as a society, are not guaranteed, and thus we need to individually work toward ways of making our world a better place.
7. In this effort, we sometimes must choose between the lesser of two evils, and accept compromises.
8. There is at the core of humans a capacity for creativity, imagination and goodness; but there is also a capacity to hold on to the past, find security in the known and to exploit our fellow man. In that struggle, liberals believe that the good will prevail.
9. Democracy, as a form of social political organization, comes in many varieties and is only one of many potential systems that are constantly evolving and changing. There is no one universally “best” political system for every region of the world, since each region has unique cultural histories and traditions.
10. In all things the liberal is tolerant of diversity and seeks to maximize the good while minimizing pain and suffering. In all matters pride and hubris are to be avoided in the interests of playful creativity.
11. Postscript: In the end, Nature will have its way.