The First Shoots of Liberty

Last week's returning lecture certainly raised some interesting points for me. Besides the origins of the sandwich, it forced me to consider when exactly today's liberal society became shaped into what it is. Naturally, it would have been a long process, taking many hundreds of years for us to arrive at where we are now, but seemingly, we can look back to the 18th Century to find the first most substantial roots of liberty.

Admittedly, we may look back even further to Locke, who proposed that a greater proportion of authority should be placed upon an individual, thus blunting the government's power. However, the likes of John Wilkes, in my opinion, should be credited with the first public undertakings in obtaining such liberation. His own proposal for universal male suffrage, for instance, is an example of how journalists began to specify Locke's beliefs. His private life though, may be seen as somewhat roguish, falling greatly into debt and of course, most famously, issuing copies of his North Briton, damning the highest authorities, including the King himself.

Perhaps noted as one of the very first public political critiques, Wilkes began to pave the way for future generations to openly have their own say in the running of the country. This is reinforced by the huge amount of support he accumulated, retaining his seat through such controversies and even becoming elected Mayor of London. He reminds me greatly of Rousseau, bucking the social trends and preaching for greater freedom throughout his life.

Mary Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill also carried the flag for liberty at a similar time. Wollstonecraft may particularly be remembered for her Vindication of the Rights of Woman, as she fought to gain equal rights for both genders in both education and job opportunities, having also been greatly influenced by Locke's theory in experience and the initial blank slate of the human mind. Mill took Wilkes' idea one step further, becoming the first to propose for female suffrage as well. Again, both of these theorists may be seen as the foundations of today's far more liberal community, having formed the bedrock for feminism in the UK; a debate that would become hugely topical at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Perhaps these people are the ones we should admire for first taking action against elitism and fighting for the universal rights of today.