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Today, we quite often hear the "liberal" label being applied as if it were a curse word. What many of the people who use the word this way fail to realize is that liberal idealism shaped much of the world we live in today; our society would be dystopian and draconian if it weren't for a number of great Liberal thinkers throughout history. This will be the very first entry into what I hope will be a long-running series of articles where I will attempt to present, in no particular order, some of history's greatest Liberal minds.
As this is the first entry into the "series," let me begin with a slight precursor. The concept of these articles is quite simple: I will present a historically-relevant liberal figure, discuss some of the reasons why they are labeled as such, and then we can discuss it below (and also, suggestions for future entries into the series will always be welcome). Some people might contest a number of earlier liberal figures, including that of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, because the word "liberal" didn't exist until at least 1375 AD (as far as we know), and liberalism as a social movement didn't really begin in force until the 16th century. But, etymology aside, countless figures from earlier history were liberal as well, whether they were labeled as such or not. These articles will focus on the principals of the figures, not their labels in their own time. Having said that, let's begin.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman Empire from 161 AD until his death in 180 AD. Considered to be the last of the "Five Good Emperors," Aurelius was one of the most level-headed, even-tempered rulers Rome would ever know. He was well-educated, a prolific writer, and is considered by many historians the world over to be the last great Stoic Philosopher. What some people may not realize is that Marcus Aurelius is also one of history's greatest liberal minds.
We don't know much about Aurelius' leadership; even through his famous "Meditations" and the countless biographies of his works that have been written and transcribed, we don't have records today of his legislative affairs. What we do know of the Emperor, however, was his devotion to several tenants that would later be recognized universally as liberal ideals. He believed that orphans, Plebeians, and the poor should be protected and watched over vigilantly, and he implemented several programs which intended to "level the playing field," as we'd probably say today. He also pledged a tremendous amount of his personal wealth to this cause, as his status as a Platonic idealist drove him toward efforts of social equality. Marcus Aurelius was also one of history's earliest abolitionists, though not in a traditional sense. He firmly upheld laws related to the manumission of slaves, which was the process of slave owners freeing their property.
Marcus Aurelius is the first liberal to be named in this series because he posthumously played a substantial role in the building of my own character. When I was young, my parents sent me to a Roman Catholic pre-school. One day, the nuns noticed that I was coloring with my left hand instead of my right, and convinced that I was some sort of demonic incarnate, they sent me to sit in the back of the class, putting on a spectacle of pointing out the error of my ways, before calling my parents. My mom went to the school, demanding to know why I had been singled out and made an example of for doing nothing more than coloring with my left hand. That was my last day as a Roman Catholic. From that point forward, my parents told me I could be whatever religion I chose, so long as I learned as much as I could about other religions before I made a decision.
At a very early age, I started studying other religions, and for whatever reason (perhaps because I'm a raging nerd?), I devoted a tremendous amount of my time to learning as much as I could, with a particular focus on ancient history. I was less interested in the religions themselves as I was with the world from which those religions came. Eventually, I came to learn about the Roman Empire, and when Marcus Aurelius came to my attention, I decided to read his Meditations. I learned more about morality, decency, compassion, loyalty, and service from the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius than from every major religious text in history, combined. With the obvious exception of my parents, who caringly showed me compassion and morality as being defined as respecting others and avoiding ego, I think I can safely say that Marcus Aurelius is the primary figure who led me toward adopting a liberal philosophy, and if ever you hoped to blame one person for my being a pseudo-agnostic, I think he should be your principal suspect.
