Liberalism a bad word

Christian Century, Jan 11, 2005

LIBERALISM A BAD WORD: The meaning of liberalism has shifted from an emphasis on economic and personal liberty in the 19th century to a concern for equality and an advocacy of the welfare state in the 20th; the former promoted less government, the latter more. According to John Lukacs, governmental intervention in social affairs has turned many Americans against government and toward conservatism.

The demise of liberalism is, in fact, partially due to its own success: there is far less institutional injustice than there once was. Liberalism, argues Lukacs, is fundamentally about the dignity of human beings (Chronicle Review, December 10).