Crown Liberalism

Crown Liberalism is a semi-liberal philosophy and political ideology originating in Urcea based on consent of the governed, gradual reform, and the establishment of a government "guided by but not limited to" non-elected authorities such as the Apostolic King of Urcea or Catholic Church. Crown Liberalism is considered to be fusionist, embracing core liberal principles such as the social contract and individual rights while accepting the necessity of public stability and opposing political radicalism. It is similar to Organicism in application inasmuch as Crown Liberalism emphasizes reform and continuity, but major disagreements between Crown Liberalism and Organicism exist on basic issues such as social contract and class distinctions, as Crown Liberalism is viewed by many to be a definitively bourgeoisie ideology. The philosophy has been described by the Kiravian scholar P. G. W. Gelema "a movement aimed at creating the maximum degree of liberty and mobility for the individual and the family with the minimum degree of instability".

In terms of its philosophical origin, Crown Liberalism has largely been traced back to absolutist notions in Urcea regarding the social contract between the Apostolic King and Urcean people. Philosophers and scholars have noted that Crown Liberalism's primary argument is that the Apostolic King was given authority from above and from a social contract to rule Urcea, and that the Constitution of Urcea ultimately originates as an irrevocable free grant from the Crown that modifies the social contract. This theory of governance was best expressed in the Great Bull of 1811.

History

Origins

Crown Liberalism finds its origins in the late 18th century in the period immediately following the War of the Caroline Succession. The introduction of liberal thought was of great interest to young high society optimates, who began to patronize liberal philosophers and thinkers. With this patronage came specific thoughts from optimate families, integrating ideas from traditional Urcean political thought to create a brand of liberalism specific to Urcea which most historians argue developed from an earlier form of enlightened absolutism. Though optimates were responsible for the initial introduction and spread of Crown Liberal thought, by the 1780s a new wage of privilegiata from the city, partly influenced by mercantile ties to the emerging liberal Burgoignesc principalities, pushed it forward. Several of these privilegiata, who belonged to the highest ranks of that class, were members of the Conshilía Daoni. In 1791, they established the "National Pact for the Settlement of the Constitution", a political club supporting continued development of the Constitution of Urcea. This club would become the National Pact, Urcea's oldest political party and the first Crown Liberal party.