Liberalism
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 1 "The Rise of Nationalism in Europe"
Meaning
Liberalism comes from the Latin word liber, meaning free. It was the main idea of Europe's educated middle classes in the 19th century. It stood for individual freedom, equality before the law, government by consent of the people, a constitution, a representative parliament and the safety of private property. In economics it wanted free markets, without trade barriers set by the state. But it did not always mean votes for all. Usually only men who owned property could vote.
Example
In 1834, Prussia started the zollverein, a customs union. It abolished tariff barriers (taxes on goods crossing borders) between most German states and cut more than thirty currencies down to two. This was liberalism in economics. Its limits also showed: the Napoleonic Code kept voting rights limited and treated women as legal minors, under the control of their fathers or husbands.
Don't confuse with
- Conservatism: it wanted to protect monarchy, the Church and the social hierarchy. Liberalism wanted constitutions and rights for individuals.