How the Word ‘Liberal’ First Became a Political Adjective
How the Word ‘Liberal’ First Became a Political Adjective
The debate about when “liberal” first acquired a political meaning has been resolved. The answer is the 1770s, when the adjective “liberal” became the name of the policy orientation against government restriction, government monopoly, and protectionism, and in favor of individual liberty, premised by a stable, functional system of governmental authority. This policy orientation was...