The search for the common good in the classical liberal tradition
La poursuite du bien commun: voyage au cœur de la pensée libérale
Classical liberals are known to be skeptical about concepts such as general interest or social justice. For that reason, they are often classified among the individualistic, the selfish and soulless persons. They wouldn’t care about others! Such judgment shows a total ignorance of what liberalism really is, in theory as well as in practice.
The classical liberal tradition developed through a trial-and-error process attempting to find the proper institutions for our societies; the ones that would empower everyone, regardless of religion or origin, to follow their own aspiration –their personal vision of “the good life”. Tolerance was one of its key ideas. In that sense this tradition was in search of the common good.
This is how the defense of property came to be the paramount element of a liberal society. Institutions protecting property would give each one a chance to flourish. But that’s not all! Property, for reasons we progressively understand, turns out to be the best way to promote the many things those who appeal to “the general interest” or “social justice” are attempting to promote: access to a good education for everyone, access to better healthcare, better protection against accidents, better environment.
The 2025 edition of the International Summer University in Political Science will be the place to inquire into those topics with the contributions, as always, of top scholars but also of those acting today to bring about a better world without relying on the coercion of the State.
Registration will be open on January 15th. So, check out that page on January 15th and sign to join us for that trip to the soul and practice of classical liberalism.