Political Philosophy Paper: Liberalism Side

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY PAPER Name Institution Political Philosophy Paper Liberalism recognizes the human rights and liberties of an individual and seeks to protect them against external interference by limiting the involvement of state organs or the government from dictating the exercise of individual freedoms. Liberalism allows for state action and coercion when the exercise of individual liberties threatens or infringes on the rights of other individual members of the society. It also champions for limited government involvement in protecting the same rights and freedoms for those who deemed unfit or unable to exercise their rights such as the mentally or physically challenged persons. The nobility of liberalism lies in its universal nature of the application and observation of human rights across the social divide and the freedom it gives to individuals to be themselves. The limited state action and coercion give individuals and consequently the society, an opportunity to create for itself a conducive environment through tolerance based on upholding the virtues of humanity. Individuals around the world have different personalities and beliefs they hold so dear to their hearts and through the integration of the shared beliefs form identity groups to which they create lasting affiliation based on certain principles or philosophies. It is the distinct philosophies among the groups or communities formed and emerging from the common principles that guide the conduct and or reaction of a particular person towards their social-economic and political structures. The different political ideologies embraced by each distinct group within the society are in essence, what is commonly referred to as a political philosophy (Strauss, 2012). Scholars around the world cannot seem to find common ground as to which political philosophy serves and has the best interest of humanity or rather the people at hand. The contentious political philosophies include Liberalism, Conflict theory, and Communitarianism. Each of the philosophies builds around principles aiming to achieve social order within a community while acknowledging the rights of the people at both the individual and societal level. An overview of the concepts or principles driven by each philosophy provides a basis for making an argument for or against any of them. At face value, Individuals form the basis of structuring the entire society, and thus their beliefs and freedoms should be protected at the behest of the community. Communitarianism, on the other hand, advocates for a social order built on the cultural traditions of the community which should be called for in addressing any disorders or infringements of personal rights and freedoms (Cross, 2017). The community serves as a benchmark for enhancing individual liberties through communal initiatives established or enshrined in the culture and traditions of a particular person. Conflict theory is another political philosophy that defines the differences existing in the society as emanating from the unequal distribution of resources and the individual need to protect their elevated status within the society and keep on stretching their potential (Strauss, 2012). The proponents of this philosophy believe that social order can only be achiev...