Abstract: Why did classical liberalism fail to achieve the results its original proponents envisioned? Given the popularity of social liberalism, modern liberalism and progressive causes and ideologies, as derivatives and permutations of classical liberalism, one might argue it has not failed in the first place, rather, perhaps it has not yet been fully realized and implemented. But the fact is classical liberalism has failed, as can be conclusively proven, it has failed because it ignored immutable metaphysical laws, the historic reality and an approach to human nature based upon realism. At the end of the road of classical liberalism, the West arrived at social liberalism and progressive liberalism which beckon its adherents to seek greater authoritarianism to compel compliance and ultimately reduce individual liberty and increase governmental power.

I propose a unified theory of sorts that combines The Strauss-Howe generational theory with a hybrid of Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilization’s hypothesis explains in part the observation that the West has not reached the End of History as some propose. Rather, classical liberalism, as expressed through derivative ideologies of progressivism, social liberalism, socialism, and communism, has failed to provide the social order and tranquility that early proponents envisioned. At its core, classical liberalism failed to acknowledge immutable metaphysical laws, the historic reality and an approach to human nature based upon realism. The overarching intent of this work is to provide an umbrella under which related research will reside that fleshes out specific and more detailed aspects of the larger hypothesis presented above.

This is the question I seek to answer in a new project, one that will undoubtedly find its way into much of my writing and thoughts. This is a theory I first broached in A Philosophy of Commonsense and will elaborate in further detail progressively over time.