The Classical Liberal Tradition: A Four Hundred Year History of Ideas and Movements

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Created: 24 Oct. 2021 (with 25 posts)
Updated: 28 Apr. 2022 (31 posts)

[Eugène Delacroix, “Liberty leading the People on the Barricade” (1830)]

A Brief Overview

  1. “The History of Classical Liberalism in 1,730 words (and one picture)” (11 Aug. 2021) here. [Revised 12 Apr. 2022.]
  2. “The Classical Liberal Tradition – A 400 Year History Of Ideas And Movements: Lecture/Seminar Outline” (22 Apr. 2022) here
  3. “Liberty as the Sum of All Freedoms” (26 April, 2022) here. This is an updated version of “The Key Ideas of Classical Liberalism: Foundations, Processes, Liberties” (23 June, 2015) here
  4. “Twelve Key Concepts of Liberty” (25 Apr. 2022) here

Recommended Reading

  1. “The Classical Liberal Tradition: A 400 Year History of Ideas and Movements. An Introductory Reading List” (20 May, 2021) here [Updated: 22 Apr. 2022]
  2. “One Volume Surveys of Classical Liberal Thought” (11 Jan. 2021) here
  3. “600 Quotations about Liberty and Power” (28 Apr. 2022) here

A List of Posts on this Topic

The Many Faces of Liberalism:

  1. “The Multi-Dimensionality of Classical Liberalism” (19 April, 2022) here
  2. “Plotting Liberty: The Multi-Dimensionality of Classical Liberalism and the Need for a New ‘Left-Right’ Political Spectrum” Reflections on Liberty and Power (17 April, 2022) here
  3. “ ‘Hyphenated’ Liberalism and the Problem of Definition” (9 Aug. 2021) here
  4. “Hyphenated Liberalism Part II: Utopian, Democratic, Revolutionary, and State Liberalism” (12 Oct. 2021) here
  5. “The Conservative and Revolutionary Faces of Classical Liberalism” (11 Aug. 2021) here
  6. “How Modern Day CL/Libertarians Differ From “Classical” Classical Liberals” (24 Aug. 2021) here
  7. “The Incoherence and Contradictions inherent in Modern Liberal Parties (and one in particular)” (21 Oct. 2021) here
  8. “The Myth of a liberal ‘Australian Way of Life’” (20 June 2021) here
  9. “On the (im)Possibility of finding a “Third Way” between Liberalism and Socialism” (19 Apr. 2022) here

Classical Liberals on the Role and Power of the State:

  1. “The Spectrum of State Power: or a New Way of Looking at the Political Spectrum” (10 Aug., 2021) here. [Updated: 25 Apr. 2022.]
  2. “Classical Liberals on the Size and Functions of the State” (10 Aug. 2021) here. [Updated: 25 Apr. 2022.]

What CLs were FOR and AGAINST:

  1. “What Classical Liberals were Against” (12 Aug. 2021) here
  2. “What Classical Liberals were For” (13 Aug. 2021) here
  3. “What CLs were For – Part 2: Ends and Means” (19 Oct., 2021) here

CL Visions of the Future Free Society:

  1. “Classical Liberal Visions of the Future I” (27 August, 2021) here
  2. “Classical Liberal Visions of the Future II: The Contribution of Gustave de Molinari (1819-1912)” (29 Aug. 2021) here
  3. “Classical Liberal Visions of the Future III: Liberal Experiments, Frameworks, and Archipelagos” (11 Oct. 2021) here
  4. “Hayek on a Liberal Utopia” (11 Sept. 2021) here

CL Movements and Crusades for Liberty:

  1. “Classical Liberal Movements: A Four Hundred Year History” (17 Aug. 2021) here
  2. “Classical Liberalism as a Revolutionary Ideology of Emancipation” (13 Oct. 2021) here
  3. “Classical Liberalism as the Philosophy of Emancipation II: The “True Radical Liberalism” of Peter Boettke” (17 Oct. 2021) here

CL’s Successes and Failures:

  1. “The Success of Liberal Ideas has led to the Decline of Radical Liberal Parties” (6 Sept. 2021) here
  2. “A Balance Sheet of the Success and Failures of Classical Liberalism” (21 Apr. 2022) here