Liberalism

Abstract

Liberalism is everywhere in geography. It comprises theories of human nature, governance, and the economy, and appeals to the ideals of equality, freedom of expression, tolerance, universality, human rights, self-government, liberal democracy, citizenship, public and private spheres, a free press, competition, private property, private enterprise, free trade, open markets, and the rule of law. This article addresses these themes by attending to three key aspects of liberalism – the individual, governance, and the economy – and their importance to geographical research. Particular attention is directed toward the recent critiques that have been pervasive in geography, introduced through critical theories such as post-structuralism, psychoanalysis, Marxism, feminism, and postcolonialism, which reveal the paradoxes of liberalism, and the discontinuities between liberal ideals and practices. The main focus is on Anglo-Western forms of liberalism, which have been foundational, but with some attention to the international and internationalizing aspirations of liberal thought, particularly with respect to colonialism and the war on terror.