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Some Thoughts on Liberalism*

The first principle of liberalism is that human beings are and out ought to be free; that they all have a right to freedom; and that the proper business of government is to secure their right and to promote their freedom.

The first principle of democratic liberalism is that human beings are and out ought to be equally free; that they all have a right to equal freedom; and that the proper business of government is to secure their right and to promote their equal freedom.

The history of liberalism, including democratic liberalism, has been determined, above all, by two fundamental changes: (1) an expanding understanding of the right to freedom--from —from including solely the right to political freedom and share in government to including the right to all basic requirements of human security and development necessary to personal dignity and equal opportunity; and (2) an expanding understanding of the scope of democracy--from —from including only white, propertied, and male adults as citizens to including all adults as citizens regardless of race, property, and gender.

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