A liberal view of history

This was posted at a certain FB group: The Air I Breathe by L.Neil Smith. Note the emphasis on the individual, an exaggerated notion of liberty, and progress. It is given as a libertarian view of history, which is but one liberal version of history, akin to the Whiggish interpretation. Christopher Ferrara has written against the Austrians about the origins of the development of English capitalism vis-à-vis the enclosures (parts II and III). I think Kevin Carson has done so well. There would not have been the development of modern English capitalism (or British power) without the state.

The protection of liberty as a check on the abuse of power and bad governments may be even more important in a republic than in those polities where only one or a few rule. Nonetheless, in itself it is not the end of society, and libertarians who take the negative conception of liberty or freedom too far so as to deny the government's legitimate protection of morality are wrong.

One can see a tension between traditional conservatism and liberal conservatism at websites like ISI and its First Principles Journal. Another thing to note is how many contemporary conservatives talk about "Western civilization" without acknowledging the centrality of Christianity to American or European civilization. Some may be trying to advance a post-Christian version of Western civilization or to communicate with a non-Christian audience; others are just liberals attempting to claim that their tradition goes further back in antiquity than it really does.*

Russell Kirk who is held dear by many conservatives, was not a liberal but a Christian and he held the Christian understanding of Western understanding. See his "The Common Heritage of America and Europe," for example. Other exponents of the Christian understanding would be Christopher Dawson (The Making of Europe) or Hilaire Belloc (Europe and the Faith).


Even if it is possible "in theory" to maintain certain aspects of Western culture without being them vivified by Christ, can we separate the de-Christianization of the West from the spiritual warfare that is behind it? Besides, while most conservatives in academia and so on are trying to spread their ideas and message to a broad audience, what are they doing, as citizens, to further the cause of localism (states' rights, for example), or to counter corporatism? Too many hold on to the ideology of capitalism as a part of their conservatism, many of whom do not have real-life experience as a producer or laborer, occupying rather privileged positions in society instead. The university, for the most part, no longer exists as a locus of culture, neither representing the community nor serving it and its interests. It's just another part of the system seeking to perpetuate it in order to preserve itself.

The time for lectures is over -- one must be an example of what one believes.

*This would not apply to paleolibertarians like Tom Woods who acknowledge the centrality of Christianity but nonetheless attempt to interpret the silver age scholastics as being precursors of the Austrian school.

Related:
An Austrian responds to Christopher Ferrara's book The Church and the Libertarian (a review of that book by Thomas Storck - letters to the editor)
Christopher A. Ferrara: The Church & the Libertarian: A Defense of Catholic Teaching on Man, Economy and State (mp3)
Paleocrat's YT channel

Russell Kirk: The Conservative Convert