Realism and Revolutions

Liberalism emanated from enlightenment thinking and was based on the tenet that human progress was inevitable. According to Alexander (2009), hose in support of liberalism was on the view that all persons should be treated equally before the law and expected governments to be representative as opposed to autocratic. Nationalism, on the other hand, was equally a radical ideology as it was the case the case with liberalism following the final defeat of Napoleon. The emergence of nationalism is traceable to imagined or real cultural identity which is evidenced by a common history, language, and territory. According to Alexander (2009), although it was a radical ideology, socialism sought to counter nationalism by seeking economic equality for all people and was more so against the laissez-faire encouraged by liberalism.