Post-Liberalism and the End of Freedom

Abstract

Abstract. The Liberal and Conservative parties (former Tories and Whigs) have shared power in Great Britain for about 250 years. In 1811, in Spanish Cadiz, the concept of «liberalism» was first used as official definition of political ideology. In the 19th century (and the first half of the 20th century), there was a continuing battle between liberals and conservatives, that sometimes rose to the level of civil war. The second half of the 20th century was marked by the moral and economic triumph of liberal democracy. But after the first two decades of the 21st century the question of liberalism and its fate has become sharply aggravated. Liberalism again turned out to be a sensitive issue, the controversy around it reached the intensity that is more typical for religious and interethnic conflicts, than political ones. In 2019, Vladimir Putin declared that the liberal idea completely outlived its usefulness. The leaders of many Western countries opposed him, declaring the triumph of liberalism. But the analysis of the contemporary events allows us to suggest that the liberal idea in its current incarnation has not outlived itself, but it can “eliminate” the humanity.