The question arises because the facts behind the term "classical liberal" are usually a revelation. This is a vital consideration given the political realignment in the states and around the world, with many on the Left moving to the Right and becoming classically liberal or just liberal in the truest sense of the word.

If that sounds confusing, it’s been primarily caused by the usual leftist Orwellian distortions of reality with word meanings, where without rational justification they have laid claim to every positive-sounding political term to cover for the fact that their collectivist ideologies are grounded in falsehoods and force. Thus, it’s important to consider the question and the facts of classical liberalism.

The phrase can be traced from the fact that the Founding Fathers were considered liberals, but their ideological beliefs were antithetical to leftists who wanted to exploit the term as their own. Anti-liberty leftists have cynically co-opted the term to hide their authoritarian intentions. Thus, the phrase classical liberal was conjured up to somehow differentiate the two, even though the phrase is hardly ever defined in most dictionaries and “classical liberal” usually defaults to "liberal." The problem for them is that the facts behind the word’s original meaning still exist, and even worse for them, most dictionaries don’t distinguish between the two terms.,with a few going full Orwell in trying to modify and muddle the meaning to bring it in line with far-left dogma that is antithetical to the ‘classical’ definition. But let’s start with a short video from a few years ago that provides a short overview of: What is a Classical Liberal.

Classical liberalism is the idea that individual freedom and limited government are the best way for humans to form a free society. The classical liberal tradition was born from great thinkers such as John Locke, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, and Thomas Jefferson. While they all tinkered in their own way with the ideas of classical liberalism the core belief that the individual should always be considered above the group always remain constant. Thomas Jefferson even threw in the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence to drive home the point that your happiness wasn’t the government's to give but rather yours to take.

Putting the individual above the group not only empowers you to live your life as you see fit but it also neutralizes the forces of racism and bigotry which judge people not on their individuality but on their immutable group characteristics be it color of skin gender or sexuality.

These days liberalism has been confused with leftism or progressivism which actually has nothing to do with classical liberalism. Sadly, the left is no longer liberal at all, for it has traded in individualism for collectivism, thus placing us in an oppression Olympics where victimhood is virtue.

Now, does the idea that individual freedom and limited government as the best way for humans to form a free society sound left-wing or right-wing?

Which side of the political spectrum is based upon the pillars of individualism and individual liberty? Which side is mired in collectivism and nonexistent collective "rights?"

Doesn’t individual freedom and limited government sound very similar to conservatism?

Take note that both ideologies are based on individualism, while the leftist ideologies at the other end of the political spectrum are mired in collectivism. And that it makes the very important point that the Left is no longer liberal. In other words, collective or group "rights" are nonexistent, because rights can only be endowed to the individual.

Let us also consider another video that goes into more depth on the subject: Classical Liberalism Explained: What It Is, What It Means.

Dr. Nigel Ashford explains the 10 core principles of the classical liberal & libertarian view of society and the proper role of government:

1) Liberty as the primary political value

2) Individualism

3) Skepticism about power

4) Rule of Law

5) Civil Society

6) Spontaneous Order

7) Free Markets

8) Toleration

9) Peace

10) Limited Government

The second principle is individualism, that the individual is more important than the collective. We should not sacrifice the interest of the individuals for what some people argue is the common good.

This was the central feature of communism and fascism, that individuals didn't matter.

Again, we see some of the same principles, with a few more added, and all of it resembling more the pro-freedom Right than the authoritarian Left. Note the very important distinction between the two sides of the political spectrum, between the individualism of the Right and the collectivism of the Left.

We also can see that the Left has conjured up the false distinction, still attempting to exploit the liberal label while faking its core tenets. Many leftists have openly equated classical liberalism with conservatism, for obvious reasons. 

So, are you a conservative?

Or are you a classical liberal?

D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, former director of communications for a civil rights organization, and a long-time contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack.

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