A Long and Difficult Journey

Abstract

Mention will be made in this chapter of several major steps taken through the centuries along the road leading to liberalism in modern times. Without them there would have been little or no advance along the way. Even with them, because of the role that choice (see p. 23) and chance play in human affairs, because of lack of awareness of liberty and antagonism to it, of inability or unwillingness to cope with liberty’s problems, there never was any certainty that there would be a liberal movement and a liberal era. Past, present and future form not an unbending rod, but a chain: a single different choice in any of the innumerable factors influencing each development can alter the next and every succeeding link.