Succeeding Eras

 

How many liberal periods and cultures have existed in human history? This isn’t easy to answer. Liberal philosophy can simply be viewed as the concepts, values, and ideals of reason, individualism, and freedom. More complexly, liberalism can be viewed as reason and science, naturalism and objectivity, individualism and self-interest, liberty and justice, beauty and heroism, and transcendence and triumph.

Based on these ideas and standards, it seems as if educated Greece, or at least Athens, was relatively liberal in the era of Empedocles, Anaxagoras, and Democritus. It became considerably more so under Aristotle, Epicurus, and Zeno the Stoic. A third liberal society and culture emerged in conquering Rome under the influence of the six thinkers above, as well as Cicero, Horace, Virgil, and others.

Despite the serious religiosity and depravity of the Moslems, a fourth liberal period probably took place under the Islamic caliphates, during their golden era, around 900-1100. Next up, at least lightly, the educated people of 1100s greater Paris were possibly guided by fairly liberal ideas and lived fairly liberal lives. After this came the Italian Renaissance of the 1300s, followed by the European Renaissance of the 1500s.

This makes seven separate liberal periods – with all of their strengths, weaknesses, and diversity – so far.

After this comes the complicated and rich period of the Enlightenment in the 1700s. It seems to have manifested itself somewhat differently in at least five major places: England, France, Holland, Scotland, and America. But it may be the case that all those European versions of liberalism might have molded together and then spread out to the rest of northwest Europe and beyond. America’s Founding Father liberalism, in turn, may have been pretty distinct because the United States represented something of a blank slate and fresh start. It’s worth noting that America’s intellectual and political leaders were mostly the same – unlike Europe – and they guided their society without an illiberal monarchy or church to defeat. All of this evidently allowed America’s liberal philosophy and lifestyle to be stronger, deeper, and more lasting.

Up next is a theoretical form of liberalism founded upon Austrian economics in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It did not capture any large nation, but it was a new and powerful set of liberal ideas nevertheless. After this came Objectivism in the 1960s and 1970s – the most liberal philosophy ever. But, curiously, this magnificent thought-system didn’t capture any major nation either. Finally, there seems to be an Objectivist-related liberalism currently in existence, especially in America, based upon a combination of Austrian economics, libertarian politics, neo-classical liberal culture, and Objectivist philosophy.

It would be glorious if these new and improved intellectual ideas, ideals, attitudes, and institutions took over some important nation or region. It would almost certainly raise human society to its highest level ever. But that looks to be many generations down the road, if at all. It may simply be that the West’s current wildly irrational and highly illiberal philosophy, standards, and institutions will forever prevent liberalism from coming back, and thus mankind may soon be extincted.