Liberalism

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property and equality before the law. Liberals differ, sometimes sharply, in how they understand these principles, but they generally support liberal democracy, market economies, individual rights, secularism, the rule of law and freedom of speech, the press, assembly and religion. It became a distinct movement in the Age of Enlightenment, seeking to replace hereditary privilege, state religion and absolute monarchy with representative democracy. John Locke is often credited with founding liberalism as a distinct tradition based on the social contract.