Liberalism: The Transcendental Framework of Modernity
Liberalism is not merely a set of legal norms, but a transcendental structure of modernity. It serves as a matrix through which we interpret the shape of collective life, where the individual is constituted as a subject of claims for recognition. In this view, freedom is not a promise of self-sufficiency, but a project affirming the primacy of human agency over the claims of the collective. This article explores the ten principles of liberalism according to Juan Ramón Rallo, which form a coherent architectonics for a free society.
Individualism, Isonomy, and the Limits of Personal Liberty
The foundation of this order is political individualism and isonomy—the principle of absolute equality before the law. Individualism recognizes the individual as the sole and ultimate carrier of local knowledge, which no state algorithm can replace. Isonomy, in turn, precludes privileges, enforcing competition based on merit and competence.
Practice reveals various models for implementing these principles. Israel, under the imperative of security, has developed a culture of assertive negotiation and innovation. France, by contrast, filters liberty through a tradition of republican unity, where the state acts as the architect of economic structures. In both cases, liberalism opposes state paternalism. It maintains that the criminalization of "victimless crimes" (such as substance use or gambling) is a form of violence against adult agency that only serves to fuel organized crime.
Property, Contract, and Responsibility
Private property is the technical solution to the problem of resource scarcity. It prevents conflict by assigning specific rights over goods to specific entities. Property is complemented by contractual autonomy. A contract is a tool of conscious self-discipline: an individual relinquishes a portion of their freedom to gain a sphere of action through cooperation. The legitimacy of a contract depends on its voluntary nature and the non-violation of third-party rights.
This architecture is completed by the principle of restitution. Law is not an arbitrary invention but the organization of an individual's natural defense. Restitution acts as an anti-entropic mechanism, forcing the internalization of costs and increasing the predictability of the system. Meanwhile, freedom of association allows for the construction of voluntary social structures, which Tocqueville called the "first art of free nations."
The Free Market, Limited Government, and Ideologies
The free market is an epistemic machine that processes the dispersed knowledge of millions through the price system. Violence only enters the fray when the state blocks market entry, creating political capitalism. To protect liberty, limited government is essential, constrained by three barriers: jurisdictional (limited to protecting rights), territorial (decentralization and the right to secession), and formal (the separation of powers).
Liberalism exposes the logical fallacies of its adversaries. Socialism destroys freedom by abolishing private property. Social democracy violates isonomy by introducing forced redistribution and treating the fruits of another's labor as a common resource. Global business tests these principles daily: from dynamic, high-risk startup ecosystems to static, hierarchical corporations embedded in civil law traditions.
Liberalism: Between Technique and Anthropology
Contemporary challenges, such as digitalization and AI, are redefining the boundaries of freedom. Here, liberalism demands clear accountability—an algorithm cannot serve as a shield to escape the consequences of one's own decisions. In the face of the climate crisis, the principle of restitution becomes a market-based remedy, requiring polluters to be precisely held liable for violating the property of others.
Ultimately, liberalism is an anthropological proposition. It assumes that human beings possess the capacity for rational self-regulation. However, freedom requires the courage to bear the weight of responsibility for one's own choices. Are we ready to accept this burden, or will we trade our liberty for an illusion of security? The true measure of a civilization's maturity lies in its ability to consciously choose freedom, even when the path appears more difficult.
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