Opposition between Liberalism and Conservatism

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People’s views on a wide range of issues are influenced or determined by the kind of foundational belief systems they hold. Therefore, the difference in the nature of opinions among individuals or groups of people alludes to the existence of distinct belief systems. In the course of history, the distinction between Liberalism and Conservatism has become more vivid particularly in the political arena where various players have expressed opposing points of view regarding the nation’s future. It is indeed undisputable that the foundational beliefs of Liberalism are diametrically opposed to those of Conservatism. This essay will give a definition of each term and describe how the two oppose each other.

Liberalism is a political ideology which takes pride and emphasizes the need for equal rights and respect for human liberty. It encourages implementation of change as the only way to solve today’s challenges. On the other hand, conservatism as a political ideology champions the need to embrace past lessons and apply them to solve problems of today. Therefore, it is opposed to revolution or change and instead finds pride in traditions (Conservatism vs. Liberalism, 2008). Liberalism supports a number of issues.

Firstly, liberalists believe that there should be a contract or formal agreement between the people and their democratically elected government on a number of issues. For instance, the government, while ensuring the common good of all, has the duty to protect people’s rights under the compact of limited powers. In other words, the government is expected to govern with restraint and never attempt to interfere with people’s private rights and liberty. Therefore, on the basis of mutual benefit and convenience, the formal agreement i...

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...onservatives paint the human nature in a much less admirable way than the liberals. For instance, they see man as a selfish being, capable of good and evil. Man ought to fight evil with good and any evil committed should not be blamed on the society but on the person who has committed it. Consequently, individuals who commit evil should be punished individually (Downing, 2010).

From the description of liberalism and conservatism given in this essay, it is seen that both aspects of liberalism and conservatism are useful in governance as the opposing views can be utilized to enhance consensus and good for all. Taking one side and ignoring the other can only result in negative social, political, and economic consequences. In order to build a shining democratic system, both liberalism and conservatism have to be merged since both aspects carry valuable ideologies.

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