On liberal ideology

I got a kick out of reading Bradley Gitz’s Dec. 3 column. Apparently, Gitz is convinced that classic liberalism, growing out of the Scottish Enlightenment, is currently dead, replaced by beliefs and behaviors that will lead inevitably to socialism and communism, if they haven’t already.

He contrasted his version of current “left wing” thought with the classic liberal thought on a variety of topics, including freedom and equality; the role of government and the state; attitudes toward private property and capitalism; the basis of rights; and freedom of speech. In all cases, the “classic” points of view had been supplanted, in his mind at least, by the (socialist, communist, and surely evil) views of “contemporary liberals,” apparently none of whom know about or subscribe to the tenets of classic liberal thought.

And yet, as Gitz described classic liberal thought, there I was, a currently living, breathing human, nodding in agreement as my basic philosophy was laid out. And shaking my head, if not recoiling in horror, as he alternately described the ideology of “current liberals.” I doubt I am the only such relic (a classic liberal) in existence. And I doubt Gitz would be able to find anybody who wholeheartedly embraces the wrongheaded misunderstanding of liberal thought he ascribes to current liberals.

One of the oldest tricks in argumentative discourse is the creation of the “straw man”—“an intentionally misrepresented proposition that is set up because it is easier to defeat than an opponent’s real argument.” Gitz’s column is a clear use of the technique.

On the other hand, Gitz’s passing reference to the Scottish Enlightenment reminds of a book I’d like to recommend: Arthur Herman’s How the Scots Invented the Modern World, which traces, among other subjects, the influence that the Scottish School of Common Sense exerted on the writers of our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. Now there’s some liberal ideology worthy of being current!

CHALON RAGSDALE

Fayetteville