We have so often heard the cry that Liberty is threatened. Statesmen preach to us of our precious heritage of Liberty which must be preserved from the attacks of foreign-born political absolutisms. In the name of Freedom we are called upon to rally to the defence of parliamentary institutions or Democracy. Why does this appeal fail to carry conviction? Is it not that many feel that the Liberty that they are called upon to save has not yet been won? They are told that they must not allow themselves to be enslaved as are the peoples living under Dictatorships. But is it not true that the peoples living under dictatorships sometimes renounced their parliamentary institutions because they believed that dictatorships would give them greater freedom?

The alliance between parliamentary institutions and freedom is a fiction of political Liberalism, which is already denied by half of Europe. Liberalism is, however, more than a political philosophy; it is a Weltanschauung or general attitude of mind. In England this attitude dominated the intellectual outlook of the nineteenth century, permeating theology, philosophy and economics, as well as politics. The Liberal attitude is essentially relativist, anti-dogmatic and anti-authoritarian. Denying the truth of absolutes it is fundamentally hostile to all systems of thought and institutions which seek to preserve them. In the name of freedom Liberalism has waged war on all absolutism, whether theological, economic or political. For religion it has tried to substitute freedom of thought; for a monopolistic economy, a free economic system; for political despotism, free representative government.