Essay On Liberalism And Conservatism

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Hoang Phi Pham
POLT 14200
Final Paper

Throughout the course, the ideologies that resonated with me most are conservatism and parts of liberalism. I can see how the way I live and view things are similar to the ideologies present in these readings. Furthermore, I can greatly relate to the concepts and definition presented in these readings, as liberalism and conservatism are two major political ideologies not just in the U.S., but also in many other parts of the world. The readings on these subject have challenged today's view of the two ideologies.
The pieces on liberalism and conservatism has shown how different the two ideologies mean compared to the labels we see in American politics. The media has made it seems as though conservatives (which in the U.S. is becoming synonymous with Republican) is all against change, while liberals (Democrats) lie in the exact opposite of the spectrum: promoting changes. However, the essays by Locke, Berlin, and Oakeshott showed us how the two ideologies are much deeper than that. It is not just a manual of how to govern a nation, but rather ideals and philosophies. Furthermore, while contemporary politics have created an illusion that there is a clear and definite distinction between liberalism and conservatism, these essays show that they actually do overlap in many ways. In "Two Concepts of Liberty", Berlin categorizes liberty as "positive" and "negative". Positive liberty defines freedom as an individual being able to control his life and decisions in his own interests. On the other hand, in negative liberty, freedom exist when an individual is free from external interference. The major difference between the two concepts of liberty is that positive liberty focuses on the capability of an...

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...e. People will have to learn to accept change, even if they are skeptical of it. Change, as Oakeshott argues, is inevitable, and is something that everyone will have to learn to accept. However, the conservative prefers these changes to happen slowly and gradually so that he can examine their costs and benefits. Conservatives know that changes bring forth disruptions, but if such changes are necessary to solve an existing problem, then they will be willing to accept it. To them, changes that are simply for the sake of change, especially when the current life is satisfactory, is meaningless. They do not believe in the possibility of an utopia, and do not seek for it. Indeed, I have learned to be content with my situation. While I do have a goal that I work towards, I try to use the present as an advantage, rather than trying to change the present to achieve my goal.

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