This is an excerpt from the Liberal Times, a forum for liberal policy in South Asia, Volume III. In this excerpt, the editor refers to the principles embedded in the very philosophy of Liberalism, the bedrock of which is freedom.
At the core of the concept of Liberalism lies the principle of freedom. Therefore, ‘ democracy, rule of law, market economy, free trade and pluralism are integral parts of Liberalism. This further implies ‘that values like tolerance, self-reliance, freedom of expression and attitudes like critical assessment, openness, dialogic and dissent, truthfulness and fairness also inherent in this concept.
The essence of liberal belief was in fact defined in 1776 in the Virginia Declaration of Rights which formed a model for the Bill of Rights added to the U. S. Constitution 15 years later. It declared that “all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights” of which they cannot deprive themselves or their posterity. These were “the enjoyment of life and Liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.”
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This article is from the Liberal Times, Volume III- Number 4, published in 1995.
