Similarities and dissimilarities between liberalism, nationalism, and socialism

Essay by CARGCollege, UndergraduateA+, January 2010

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The first half of the nineteenth century called for powerful forces of change. This led to a series of political philosophies and ideologies. Liberalism emerged as a chance to further the development of oneself and to one's own welfare of society. Nationalism was another important government style that emerged, was a new way to think about the advancement of society and the nation itself. Socialism was the third important government and concentrated on the benefit of strictly the society that it was under, with all members being equal. These philosophies were very different from the ideas of a monarchial government, and were in some ways similar, but in some other ways were also very different.

Liberalism was the belief in Liberty, private property, toleration of different beliefs and ideas. They agree with John Locke, and the driving/starting force behind the theory of liberalism was the Laissez-faire. The Liberalist believed that people should be allowed to do whatever they wanted as long as they didn't hurt anyone in the process of it.

They also believed in a written constitution that provides equality among all individuals which is very similar to our constitution's first amendment, in fact it is an exact replica. Liberalism was revolutionary because it was a new way of government. It allowed people to be individuals, and they no longer had to deal with the monarchy of King's and Queen's. The government was based individualistic society, because it was all about benefiting oneself and allowing them to be free. The idea behind liberalism was that everyone should be an individual, not people as a whole, such as socialism is. Nationalism and liberalism are similar since they both believe of autonomous empowerment and thus the creation of a nation as a whole. Socialism and Liberalism were also slightly similar because...