Radicalism

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This page is about the historical movement known as ‘‘radicalism’’, for the political radicalism in general see Radicalism (Disambiguation).

Radicalism (Rad) or Radical Liberalism (RadLib) was a historical set of movements within Classical Liberalism and represented the left-wing of the historical movement. Radical liberalism took principles behind liberalism and applied them to their conclusion (a.k.a. their 'root' or 'radix' and latin, therefore 'radicalism').

"No human government has a right to enquire into private opinions, to presume that it knows them, or to act on that presumption. Men are the best judges of the consequences of their own opinions, and how far they are likely to influence their actions; and it is most unnatural and tyrannical to say, "as you think, so must you act. I will collect the evidence of your future conduct from what I know to be your opinions."

For example. a classical liberal might espouse that a democratic system of government and the right to vote should be given. In turn, a radical liberal would take such a statement to its conclusion, that being that women, those without property, immigrants, slaves etc., should all be given the right to vote. Radical liberals also supported positive rights whereas classical ones only advocated negative ones. Moreover, radical liberals were historically the early advocates of welfare states.

By modern standards 'radicalism' is not radical at all, as the reforms made by radical liberals got accepted as the norm; in the modern-day 'radical liberal' is mainly used as an insult.

History

Radical Liberalism first took roots in America following the war of independence and was championed by founding father Thomas Paine. He called for many modern Social Liberal policies like a minimum wage and state pension as universal suffrage (including voting rights for women, which wasn't included in the original Constitution). Radical Liberalism was also practised in pre-Napoleonic France at the time, with similar policies.

Following the Napoleonic wars, radical liberalism would be the dominant ideology of non-classical liberals in democracy. The British Whigs also had a left-wing comprised of radicals and it could be said that Abraham Lincoln was one as well as the former American Whig party (replaced by Lincoln's republicans) and the abolitionist movement at large.

Radical liberal movements declined during the latter half of the 19th century as socialism became the dominant ideology of the left; some radicals became much more moderate and became   social liberals and   liberal democrats, while others joined the socialists and became   liberal socialists and   reformist marxists.

Doctrine

Radical Liberals, in the framework of   Classical Liberalism, believe in civil liberties such as   voting elections,   equality before the law, and   religious tolerance, but they usually fall into such positions that extended suffrage, positivism and rationalism,   welfare for all and any higher sense of just are necessary reforms. These policies are seen as   Progressive then and now, Radical Liberals viewed   Conservative or   Monarchist ideologies as protecting the broken system, one unjustified in its nature and needed to be overthrown with social change. This paved the way for modern   Social Liberalism.

Radicalists was just the general trend of more staunch Liberals that would define the left. They vary in every country, ranging from the radical   French Republicans to the British quasi-Christian Socialism   to the Italian National positivism. Supportive of the redistribution of property and workers' rights, they influenced some   Socialist ideologies along the way. Ironically, Radlibs were against common ownership.

Variants

  Chartism

Chartism was a radical, somewhat   socialist political movement in the early 1800s in Britain. It had the popular support of the British working class and was particularly in Northern England, the East Midlands, the Staffordshire Potteries, the Black Country and the South Wales Valleys. They even tried to launch attempted revolutions in South Wales and Yorkshire.

Eventually the Chartist movement stagnated and failed due to government repression, and due to their leaders at one point faking a referendum.

  Radical Republicanism

Radical Republicans were a faction within the early   Republican party that existed from the party's founding in 1854 to the end of Reconstruction. They were called radicals due to their goal of ending slavery without compromise. During the Civil War they clashed with moderate Republicans led by   Abraham Lincoln who wanted to compensate slave owners for their freed slaves where as radicals wanted no compensation for slave owners. After the Thirteenth Amendment, Radicals pushed to pass the Fourteenth Amendment granting citizenship rights to all former slaves and establish civil rights for former slaves. Radicals opposed allowing ex-Confederate soldiers to hold political office and brought impeachment charges against   Andrew Johnson. Radicals supported the Presidency of   Ulysses S. Grant and led Reconstruction efforts until they were effectively ended with the results of the 1876 Presidential Election.

As a pejorative

W.I.P

Personality

Radicalism behaves like a 90's "cool kid" rebel that speaks with similar lingo and slang. Particularly he prides himself on being a radical rebel, saying that his ideas and policies are groundbreaking and revolutionary, when in reality they are mild and moderate, as they have become the norm over the last century and a half.

How to Draw

 
Flag of Radicalism
  1. Draw a ball
  2. Fill it with dark blue
  3. Draw a rose in yellow
  4. Draw the eyes and you're done!
Color Name HEX RGB
Dark Blue #37356D 55, 53, 109
Gold #FFDC23 255, 220, 35


Relationships

Cool

Semi-Cool

  •   Classical Liberalism - My AWESOME father taught to me the AWESOMENESS of liberalism and democracy! But is pretty boring ngl, he doesn't even want to kill monarchs with me anymore.
  •   One-Nation Conservatism - Tory Radicalism? What the heck dude?
  •   Kemalism - Son of my   friend but you are pretty authoritarian and not really liberal at all dude.
  •   Revolutionary Progressivism - Progress is cool and all but DAMN, bro, you need to chillax. John Brown was cool AF tho.
  •   Marxism - Why, like, did you leave me for   him? I'm WAY cooler, man!

Uncool

Gallery

Portraits

Comics and Artwork

Further Information

Texts

Wikipedia

Notes

  1. ↑ Hugo believed in Colonialism as a means to end slavery and to "civilize" the Africans.
  2. ↑ This references to the break between   Edmund Burke and   Charles James Fox, who were once great friends but never reconciled due to their differing opinions on the   French Revolution.

References

  1. ↑ https://online.ucpress.edu/ncl/article-abstract/18/2/197/64416/Review-Mark-Twain-Social-Philosopher-by-Louis-J?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  2. ↑ https://online.ucpress.edu/ncl/article-abstract/18/2/197/64416/Review-Mark-Twain-Social-Philosopher-by-Louis-J?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  3. ↑ https://online.ucpress.edu/ncl/article-abstract/18/2/197/64416/Review-Mark-Twain-Social-Philosopher-by-Louis-J?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Navigation

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