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Hippiekinkster -> I am a defiantly unabashed Liberal..,. (3/7/2011 6:33:59 AM)
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The True Meaning of Liberal, Leftist and Conservative
November 5, 1997
By Jan Irvin
By J. R. Irvin
Original 1997, updated 01/07/2009
© J.R. Irvin. All rights reserved.
“I believe in only one thing: liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to force it upon anyone.”
H.L. Mencken
INTRODUCTION
Everyday in the mainstream, corporate underwritten or so-called ‘liberal media’, we hear how of all of America’s problems can be blamed on the ‘liberals.’ For those of you who may not know, here are the true definitions of ‘liberal,’ ‘leftist,’ and ‘conservative.’ These definitions are certainly not what most of you currently understand when referring to liberals.
First I will present a 150-year history of definitions of the word ‘liberal’ via several dictionaries at my disposal. I will use multiple dictionaries so there will be no confusion as to the so-called ‘OLD,’ and ‘NEW’ definitions of the word liberal. The dictionaries I will use are:
•1) Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language, 1853 – 1st publication 1828
•2) Webster’s International (Unabridged) Dictionary of the English Language 1893 – 1st publication 1890
•3) Hurst’s new Nuttall’s Dictionary of the English Language, 1898
•4) Webster’s 9th New Collegiate Dictionary 1983-1990
•5) Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition 1989
•6) Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, 1996
Following the breakdown of the word ‘liberal’, I will break down the words ‘leftist’ and ‘conservative,’ going over what they mean in the political sense today. Finally, I will discuss how these political terms have been used and what that means to you.
IS ‘LIBERAL’ A DIRTY WORD?
Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language, 1853
(containing the whole vocabulary of the 1st edition of 1828)
Liberal
LIB’ER-AL, a. [Fr., from L. liberalis, from liber, free. see Libel.]
1. Of a FREE heart; FREE to give or bestow; not close or contracted; munificent; bountiful; generous; giving largely; as, a liberal donor; the liberal founders of a college or hospital. It expresses less than Profuse or Extravagant. 2. Generous; ample; large; as, a liberal donation; a liberal allowance. 3. Not selfish, narrow, or contracted; catholic; enlarged; embracing other interests than one’s own; as, liberal sentiments or views; a liberal mind; liberal policy. 4. General; extensive; embracing literature and the sciences generally; as, a liberal education. This phrase is often, but not necessarily, synonymous with COLLEGIATE; as, a collegiate education. 5. FREE; open; candid; as, a liberal communication of thoughts. 6. Large; profuse; as, a liberal discharge of matter by secretions or excretions. 7. FREE; not literal or strict; as, a liberal construction of law. 8. Not mean; not low in birth or mind. 9. Licentious; FREE to excess. Shak. Liberal arts, as distinguished from mechanical arts, are such as depend more on the exertion of the mind than on the labor of the hands, and regard amusement, curiosity, or intellectual improvement, rather than the necessity of subsistence, or manual skill. Such are grammar, rhetoric, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, &c. Liberal has of before the thing bestowed, and to before the person or object on which anything is bestowed; as, to be liberal of praise or censure; liberal to the poor.
LIB’ER-AL, n. One who advocates greater freedom from restraint, especially in political institutions.
Webster’s International (Unabridged) Dictionary of the English Language, 1893
(comprising the issues of 1864, 1879, and 1884)
Liberal
Lib’er’al (lib’er-al), a. [F. liberal, L. liberalis, from liber FREE; perh. akin to libet, lubet, it pleases, E. lief. Cf. Deliver.] 1. FREE by birth; hence, befitting a FREEman or gentleman; refined ; noble; independent; FREE; not servile or mean; as, a liberal ancestry; a liberal spirit; liberal arts or studies. ”Liberal education.” Macaulay. “A liberal tongue.” Shak 2. Bestowing in a large and noble way, as a FREEman; generous; bounteous; open-handed; as, a liberal giver. “Liberal of praise.” Bacon. Infinitely good, and of his good. As liberal and FREE as infinite. Milton 3. Bestowed in large way; hence, more than sufficient; abundant; bountiful; ample; profuse; as, a liberal gift; a liberal discharge of matter or of water. 4. Not strict or rigorous; not confined or restricted to the literal sense; FREE; as, a liberal translation of a classic, or a liberal construction of law or of language. 5. Not narrow or contracted in mind; not selfish; enlarged in spirit; catholic. 6. FREE to excess; regardless of law or moral restraint; licentious. ”Most like a liberal villain.” 7. Not bound by orthodox tenets or established forms in political or religious philosophy; independent in opinion; not conservative; friendly to great FREEdom in the constitution or administration of government; having tendency toward democratic or republican, as distinguished from monarchical or aristocratic, forms; as liberal thinkers; liberal Christians; the Liberal party. I confess I see nothing liberal in this “order of thoughts,” as Hobbes elsewhere expresses it. Hazlitt. Liberal has of, sometimes with , before the thing bestowed, in before a word signifying action, and to before a person or object on which anything is bestowed; as, to be liberal of praise or censure; liberal with money; liberal in giving; liberal to the poor. The liberal arts. See under Art. — Liberal education, education that enlarges and disciplines the mind and makes it master of its own powers, irrespective of the particular business or profession one may follow.
Syn. — Generous; bountiful; munificent; beneficent; ample; large; profuse; FREE. –Liberal, Generous. Liberal is FREEborn, and generous is highborn. The former is opposed to the ordinary feelings of a servile state, and implies largeness of spirit in giving, judging, acting, etc. The latter expresses that nobleness of soul which is peculiarly appropriate to those of high rank, — a spirit that goes out of self, and finds its enjoyment in consulting the feelings and happiness of others. Generosity is measured by the extent of the sacrifices it makes; liberality, by the warmth of feeling which it manifests.
Lib’er-al, n. One who favors greater freedom in political or religious matters; an opponent of the established systems; a reformer; in English politics, a member of the Liberal party, so called. Cf. WHIG.
Hurst’s new Nuttall’s Dictionary of the English Language, 1898
Liberal
Liberal, lib’-er-al; a. giving largely; munificent; generous; ample; large; not selfish or narrow; embracing others interests than one’s own; favorable to liberty and progress; become a gentleman; refined; FREE; open; candid; not too literal: s. one who advocates greater FREEdom in political institutions, and more especially their greater popularization (L. liber, FREE)
Webster’s 9th New Collegiate Dictionary, 1983-1990
Liberal
Lib.er.al \’lib(-e)-rel\ adj [ME, fr. MF, fr. L liberalis suitable for a FREEman, generous, fr. liber FREE; akin to OE leodan to grow, Gk eleutheros FREE] (14c) 1 a; of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts <~education> b archaic; of or befitting a man of FREE birth 2 a; GENEROUS, OPENHANDED < a ~ giver> b: given or provided in a generous and openhanded way < a ~ meal> C: AMPLE, FULL 3 obs : lacking moral restraint : LICENTIOUS 4 : not literal or strict : LOOSE < a ~ translation> 5: BROAD-MINDED; esp : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms 6 a: of favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism b cap : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual esp. economic FREEdom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives — lib.er.al.ly \-re-le\adv–lib.er.al.ness n.
syn LIBERAL, GENEROUS, BOUNTIFUL, MUNIFICENT mean giving FREEly and unstintingly. LIBERAL suggestions openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given; GENEROUS stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift; BOUNTIFUL suggest lavish, unremitting giving or providing; MUNIFICENT suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords of princes.
2 Liberal n (1816); one who is liberal; as a: one who is open-minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional or established forms or ways b cap: a member or supporter of a liberal political party c: an advocate or adherent of liberalism esp. in individual rights.
The Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition, 1989 (The world’s most authorative dictionary.)
Liberal
A. adj. 1. Originally, the distinctive epithet of those ‘arts’ or ‘sciences’ (see art 7) that were considered ‘worthy of a FREE man’; opposed to servile or mechanical. In later use, of condition, pursuits, occupations: Pertaining to or suitable to persons of superior social station; ‘becoming a gentleman’ (J.). Now rare, exc. of education, culture, etc., with mixture of senses 3 and 4: Directed to general intellectual enlargement and refinement; not narrowly restricted to the requirements of technical or professional training. Freq. in liberal arts. 2. a. FREE in bestowing; bountiful, generous, open-hearted. Const. of. b. Of a gift, offer, etc.: Made without stint. Of a meal, an entertainment, etc., also of a fortune: Abundant, ample. c. Hence occas. of outline, parts of the body, etc.: Ample, large. 3. †a. FREE from restraint; FREE in speech or action. In 16–17th c. often in a bad sense: Unrestrained by prudence or decorum, licentious. liberal arbitre (= F. libéral arbitre, L. liberum arbitrium): FREE will. Obs. b. Of passage, etc.: FREEly permitted, not interfered with. Obs. exc. arch. c. Of construction or interpretation: Inclining to laxity or indulgence; not rigorous. †Also of a translation: FREE, not literal. †d. With agent-noun: That does something FREEly or copiously. Obs. 4. a. FREE from narrow prejudice; open-minded, candid. b. esp. FREE from bigotry or unreasonable prejudice in favour of traditional opinions or established institutions; open to the reception of new ideas or proposals of reform. Hence often applied as a party designation to those members of a church or religious sect who hold opinions ‘broader’ or more ‘advanced’ than those in accordance with its commonly accepted standard of orthodoxy, e.g. in Liberal Catholic. Liberal Christian: in the U.S. chiefly applied to the Unitarians and Universalists; in England somewhat more vaguely to those who reject or consider unessential any considerable part of the traditional system of belief; so liberal Christianity, liberal theology. Also in application to Judaism. 5. Of political opinions: Favourable to constitutional changes and legal or administrative reforms tending in the direction of FREEdom or democracy. Hence used as the designation of the party holding such opinions, in England or other states; opposed to Conservative. Liberal-Labour, of or pertaining to (persons associated with or sympathetic to) both the Liberal and the Labour parties. So Liberal Labourism. Cf. Lib-Lab a. In Liberal Conservative, the adj. has rather sense 4 than this sense; the combination, however, is often hyphened, which perhaps indicates that it is interpreted as ‘partly Liberal, partly Conservative.’ Liberal Unionist: a member of the party formed by those Liberals who refused to support Mr. Gladstone’s measure of Irish Home Rule in 1886. 6. Comb. as liberal-anarchic, -bourgeois, -cultural, -democratic, -empiricist, -hearted, -humanist, -minded, -scientific, †-talking adjs.; liberal-anarchism, -mindedness. B. n. 1. A member of the Liberal party (see A. 5). a. in continental politics. b. in British politics. Early in the 19th c. the n. occurs chiefly as applied by opponents to the advanced section of the Whig party: sometimes in Sp. or Fr. form, app. with the intention of suggesting that the principles of those politicians were un-English, or akin to those of the revolutionaries of the Continent. As, however, the adj. was already English in a laudatory sense, the advocates of reform were not reluctant to adopt the foreign term as descriptive of themselves; and when the significance of the old party distinctions was obliterated by the coalition of the moderate Whigs with the Tories and of the advanced Whigs with the Radicals, the new names ‘Liberal’ and ‘Conservative’ took the place of ‘Whig’ and ‘Tory’ as the usual appellations of the two great parties in the state. c. In extra-European politics, and in wider application. 2. One who holds ‘liberal’ views in theology. Chiefly U.S.
Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, 1996 (Random House edition)
Liberal
(lib’er el, lib’rel), adj 1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs. 2. (often cap.) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform. 3. of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism. 4. Favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual FREEdom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil LIBERTIES 5. favoring of permitting FREEdom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers. 6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies. 7. FREE from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners. 8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. FREE of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc. 9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: A liberal donor 10. given FREEly or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation. 11. not strict or rigorous; FREE; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule. 12. of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts. 13. of, or pertaining to, or befitting a FREEman. -n 14. a person of liberal principles or views, esp. in politics or religion. 15. (often cap.) a member of a liberal party in politics, esp. of the Liberal party in Great Britain. [1325-75; ME < L liberalis of FREEdom, befitting the FREE, equiv. to liber FREE + -alis -al] –lib’er-al-ly, adv –lib’er›al›ness, n
–SYN. 1. progressive 7. broad-minded, unprejudiced. 9. beneficent, charitable, openhanded, munificent, unstinting, lavish. see generous. 10. See ample.
–Ant 1. reactionary 8. tolerant. 9. 10. niggardly.
It is obvious by going back 150 years the word liberal has not changed one iota. In fact, the 1996 definition is closer to the 1893 definition than to the 1983-1990 definition. As we can see, LIBERAL ideology founded the very idea behind our nations ideology: FREEdom.
FUN WITH ANTONYMS
If you’re not ‘LIBERAL,’ what are you?
By definition using antonyms, you are: uneducated, unintellectual, closed of heart, selfish, narrow, contracted, mean, small, fascist, racist, bigoted, homophobic, stingy, closed-minded, supportive of monarchies and slavery, against FREEdom of religious expression and speech, low in birth and mind, anti-American.
If you’ve been out bashing ‘liberals’, you’re probably all of these things, as this would perfectly describe someone who would go out ‘liberal bashing’ (FREEdom bashing), which is also known as ‘liberticide’ – the destruction of civil liberties. (Webster’s International Dictionary, 1893)
‘Liber’ (as in liberal), is also the root word of ‘liberty’ (FREEdom from restraint); ‘Libertarian’ (one who holds to FREE will); ‘libertine’ (a FREEd man); ‘liberalism’ (the principles of liberals); ‘liberalist’ (one who is a liberal, or who favors the principles of liberals.); ‘liberalized’ (FREEd from narrow views and prejudices); ‘liberate’ (to make FREE); and several others. Liber is Latin for “FREE.”
In fact, the root word ‘liber’ is also the Latin word for ‘book’. This is because many ancient philosophies believed you could only FREE your mind through education and reading by learning the ‘logos’ (thought to be the written word of God). Where you FREEd your mind was in the universities and/or libraries, which held the books.
If we believe the stories told to us by our high school his-story books, then LIBERAL is what this country’s forefathers were and wanted!
(Note: I’m intentionally excluding the works of Howard Zinn, James Lowen, Michael Parenti, Gore Vidal, Noam Chomsky etc. in order to make a point.)
Let’s not forget that the immigrant pilgrims who came to the New World (now called ‘America’) from Europe, were coming here to get away from monarchist and Catholic (Inquisition) control over religion, speech, (white) slavery, and the use of plants for medicine and drugs (witches/pagans), etc. As we are told, they were ‘LIBERALS’ trying to break through the monarchist control of England and the Church to create political and religious reform and tolerance.
(In actuality, many wanted their own religious FREEdom away from the Catholic or Protestant control of religion, but did not want to give FREEdom to those whose lands they stole in the New World, nor their own kind who used herbs etc, to heal themselves and for religious practice, e.g. Salem witch trails, Native American shamanism etc.)
Sound familiar?
Next time, before you go and blame “those damn liberals,” you’d better take a look in the dictionary!
http://www.gnosticmedia.com/the-true-meaning-of-liberal-leftist-and-conservative/
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