The Lost History of Liberalism by Helena Rosenblatt

Rosenblatt invites a return to this broader, Wisconsin-style view.' -M.J. Liberals retreated to a position that emphasized individual rights but not necessarily generosity toward others. After World War II, conservatives associated liberalism with the kind of grand social schemes they believed led to totalitarianism. Gradually, an idea that began as moralistic - and warned against the dangers of selfishness - underwent a transformation. She moves from liberalism’s roots in 19th century France and Germany to its growing association with the United States in the 20th century. 'Rosenblatt has meticulously researched the word’s history, unearthing forgotten meanings. The Lost History of Liberalism sets the record straight on a core tenet of today’s political conversation and lays the foundations for a more constructive discussion about the future of liberal democracy. In the United States, a “liberal” is someone who advocates big government, while in France, big government is contrary to “liberalism.” Political debates become befuddled because of semantic and conceptual confusion. Today, we still can’t seem to agree on liberalism’s meaning. It was only during the Cold War and America’s growing world hegemony that liberalism was refashioned into an American ideology focused so strongly on individual freedoms. They believed in the power of religion to reform society, emphasized the sanctity of the family, and never spoke of rights without speaking of duties.

Liberals were originally moralists at heart. Only in the mid-twentieth century did the concept become widely known in the United States-and then, as now, its meaning was hotly debated. She shows that it was the French Revolution that gave birth to liberalism and Germans who transformed it.

In this timely and provocative book, Rosenblatt debunks the popular myth of liberalism as a uniquely Anglo-American tradition centered on individual rights. Taking readers from ancient Rome to today, Helena Rosenblatt traces the evolution of the words “liberal” and “liberalism,” revealing the heated debates that have taken place over their meaning. The Lost History of Liberalism challenges our most basic assumptions about a political creed that has become a rallying cry-and a term of derision-in today’s increasingly divided public square.

The changing face of the liberal creed from the ancient world to today

The Lost History of Liberalism by Helena Rosenblatt