Liberal individualism
Topic: Preamble and the Philosophy of the Constitution · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 10 "The Philosophy of the Constitution"
Meaning
Liberal individualism is a commitment to individual autonomy, the freedom to run one's own life, and to individual rights. Class 11 NCERT says the Constitution "reinforces and reinvents" it in a society where community values were often hostile to individual freedom. It grew out of more than a century of struggle, from Rammohan Roy's demand for press freedom to the fight against the Rowlatt Act in 1919. NCERT counts it first among the Constitution's core achievements.
Example
A person's freedom to openly criticise how their community treats widows is protected by Art. 19(1)(a), even if community elders object. Arts. 21 and 22 also protect personal liberty against arbitrary arrest.
Don't confuse with
- Indian liberalism: liberal individualism is only the individual-rights part. Indian liberalism combines it with social justice and community rights.