The Future of Liberalism

"Liberalism is no religion, no world view, no party of special interests. It is no religion because it demands neither faith nor devotion, because there is nothing mystical about it, and because it has no dogmas. It is no world view because it does not try to explain the cosmos and because it says nothing and does not seek to say anything about the meaning and purpose of human existence. It is no party of special interests because it does not provide or seek to provide any special advantage whatsoever to any individual or any group. It is something entirely different. It is an ideology, a doctrine of the mutual relationship among the members of society and, at the same time, the application of this doctrine to the conduct of men in actual society. It promises nothing that exceeds what can be accomplished in society and through society. It seeks to give men only one thing, the peaceful, undisturbed development of material well-being for all, in order thereby to shield them from the external causes of pain and suffering as far as it lies within the power of social institutions to do so at all. To diminish suffering, to increase happiness: that is its aim.

No sect and no political party has believed that it could afford to forgo advancing its cause by appealing to men's senses. Rhetorical bombast, music and song resound, banners wave, flowers and colors serve as symbols, and the leaders seek to attach their followers to their own person. Liberalism has nothing to do with all this. It has no party flower and no party color, no song and no party idols, no symbols and no slogans. It has the substance and the arguments. These must lead it to victory."

Liberalism in the Classic Tradition, Mises

E qual o programa do Liberalismo?

"The program of liberalism, therefore, if condensed into a single word, would have to read: property, that is, private ownership of the means of production... All the other demands of liberalism result from his fundamental demand."

Todas as chamadas liberdades e direitos advêm do direito à propriedade: a do seu corpo e livre arbítrio, a da posse honesta de bens (aquisição original no estado da natureza ou contratual) escassos (uma vez que sobre bens não escassos não existe possibilidade de conflito e portanto é ausente a questão da ética), a capacidade de estabelecer contratos voluntários.

Esta é a face ética do liberalismo, a face económica apenas comprova e valida que o desenvolvimento material e social pacífico e ordeiro só é conseguido na presença do reconhecimento mútuo pelo homem do princípio ético do liberalismo: o direito de propriedade.