Social Liberalism

Social liberalism also known as social conservatism is a post liberal current called 'new liberalism,' that does not have to be confused with neoliberalism or modern liberalism. Social liberalism appeared in Western Europe in the first quarter of the twentieth century. The liberal project, which aimed to find the perfect model and the establishment of individuals and other communities with different ethical, aesthetic, religious and different social views, was demolished by the 'parade' of totalitarian ideologies in the first half of the twentieth century.

Given the political crisis after World War I the'minimal state' promoted by the Liberals could not compete with the model of Nazi totalitarian state, fascist or communist. The emergence in 1922 of the first great totalitarian powers known as the Soviet Union on the one hand and Fascist Italy on the other, can be considered the end of 'liberal utopia'.

By a fatal coincidence, also in 1922 the Liberal Party in Britain, until then considered a mouthpiece of the globally liberal idea, gave way to the main conservative opponent of the British Labour Party, a Marxist Party. In fact, since the twenties of the last century the world of politics will be dominated by the struggle between conservatives and Marxists and liberalism became a peripheral participant of the 'war of ideologies.'

Moreover, we can say that since the second quarter of the twentieth century we can only talk about liberalism in the past or in the plural. Not liberalism, but liberalisms as 'doctrine-havens' that over some essential features of classical liberalism, have also tried to find appropriate answers to questions posed by political realities, social and economic aspects of the twentieth century. The dead trunk of classical liberalism has served as a pedestal for the emergence of the 'new liberalism' as the new liberals are economically conservative and socially radical.

From many aspects the nearest doctrine of social liberalism is the doctrine of social democracy, as social liberalism is considered the most left of the doctrines of the right or the most right of the doctrines of the left.