Liberalism and the Distinction between Democracy and Liberalism

Liberalism and democracy are often seen as synonymous, but there are important distinctions between the two. While democracy focuses on mass participation and equality, liberalism places emphasis on individual freedoms and limited government. The original bourgeois liberals were skeptical of mass democracy and believed that the educated middle class should steer political decision-making. However, the rise of mass production and consumption in modern society led to the prevalence of hedonism and material equality as key values in democratic politics. This shift from bourgeois liberalism to mass democracy has led to cultural and ideological clashes between the old and new orders.