A simple definition of the idea of the liberal tradition is as follows.

Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government. It typically favors the right to dissent from orthodox tenets or established authorities in political or religious matters.

Liberalism is also defined and understood in contradistinction to other political ideologies such as conservatism and particularly to totalitarianism, which represent the antithesis of liberal freedom. The term liberal stems from the Latin "liber" or "free", and this emphasizes the liberal ideal of being free from the rules and tenet of authority

Two central elements of liberal ideology stand out in history. The first is the desire for freedom of thought and action and the second is the need to oppose what is considered to be reactionary and antiquated traditions that would retard the dimension of freedom.

The above quotation, I feel, delineates some of the essential qualities of political liberalism which have sustained this ideology and made it so successful over time. This refers to the fact that it is an ideology which always has as its central trajectory the movement towards freedom as well as the implicit opposition to redundant and stifling forms of thought and governance.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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