Texas State University
Liberalism:
An American Story
Christian Sears
American Founding 3305.251
Dr. Michael Joseph Faber
February 7, 2017
In the excerpt, The Liberal Tradition in America, Louis Hartz explains that the relatively unique foundation of American society was due to a variety of factors. Hartz suggests that this formation was possible due to a pocket between a non-existent feudal structure and a socialist revolution that failed to occur in America. With the absence of a feudal structure, socialism was never able to take hold. This led way for the concept of liberalism backed by a classic Lockian ideology to thrive in the New World. Hartz employs the use of comparative analysis to draw distinctions and parallels with that of Europe and the New World. With the use of comparative analysis, Hartz successfully explains his view on how the founders interpreted Locke’s ideas, how liberalism became the dominant structure in American culture, and how the founding generation may have misread Locke.
The American founder’s interpretation of Locke’s ideas is more accurately described by what Hartz called an “irrational Lockeanism” ideology (Hartz 11), a closed-off view of Locke’s ideas that didn’t allow the founders to pursue an alternative political direction (Smith), like that of socialism or communism. The founders held on tightly to Locke’s principles of individualism and property, a notion that was undermined by Europe’s conservative feudalistic structure and social hierarchy. Without such a structure in the New World, the American founders were able to propel the ideas of individualism and property as closely related principles, thus giving justification for the rejection of several acts and taxes imposed on the colonies by the British crown. Hartz uses the technique of comparative analysis to compare John Adam’s view of the Stamp Act as an infringement of one’s property by this tax, calling it “the worst of the historic European oppressions,” (Hartz 7) with that of the beliefs that John Lilburne held in his “freeborn rights.” With this analysis, Hartz successfully draws the parallel to that of views held in America to views previously held in Europe. This technique allows the reader to understand that the foundation of American Liberalism has roots in Europe. The founders also incorporated the Lockean notion of the separation of powers, to which Hartz argues that without this “acceptance of a Lockian Creed,” (Hartz 9) would not work otherwise. Hartz once again compares and highlights the distinction of this principle, the separation of powers, in American founding with that of its shortcoming in France in regards to its Restoration Charter of 1814 (Britannica). The foundations of American liberalism are grounded by the core principles of irrational Lockean ideology or “Americanism,” (Hartz 11) as coined by Hartz, and affirms the author’s views of how the founders interpreted John Locke’s ideas.
The unique circumstance of colonial America led to the gradual rise of liberalism and can even be argued today as the most prominent ideology in American history. American Liberalism was not a concept derived by mere chance and several factors were responsible for this ideology’s formation. Hartz explains that the lack of an established feudalistic structure in the New World paved the way for Lockean ideas to become more attainable. Consequentially, the lack of feudalism barred the notion of a socialist revolution, as the hierarchal structure of feudalism was not present and therefore did not impose injustice and inequality in the social class of the New World. Between the lack of feudalism and lack of a socialist revolution lay the pocket for which the breeding ground of an American liberalism ideology was made possible by, and propelled by several Lockean principles. Hartz highlights the paradox of the American liberal concept in that its mechanics function as a European society without the social divide caused by feudalism, but ironically, the very mechanics that make Liberalism attainable were only recognized because of social inequalities in Europe (Hartz 10). Hartz draws the comparison of a Medieval-reminiscent feudal system in Europe, to that of “social fluidity” (Hartz 18) and the riches of abundance in the New World. With the unique combination of agrarian and proletarian principles characteristic of American liberalism, the Lockean concept of property thrives in the notion that any man can attain property if they work for it. Another driving force to the concept of liberalism was the mere fact of its weak presence in Europe, once again due to feudalism, and its attainability in the New World made Americanism an attractive offer. The formation of American liberalism must be seen as a combination of several factors that ultimately lead to independence. Had all these factors been nonexistent, Hartz suggests that “liberal spirit alone” (Hartz 17) of the American worker would not have been enough to spark the revolution of such an American liberalism concept. The American liberalism concept is the most dominant ideology of American history and core Lockean principles are prevalent even in modern American culture.