> Tonight in my college's chapel service, an illustration was used involving political liberals and conservatives. He gave the definitions as such:
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> Liberals -- believe that the original documents of our nation's founding should be interpreted through the lens of modern times
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> Conservatives -- believe that the documents should be applied in their original context to today
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> I may have gotten the terminology a bit skewed here. But I have studied different constitutional interpretations and understand that part. What I am wondering is if these definitions can be said to be actual definitions or are they instead simply an aspect of liberal / conservative philosophy.
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> Probably most people would not identify themselves as a liberal or a conservative based on these definitions. Besides the fact that many people have most likely not given that particular matter much thought, there are plenty of public policy issues to take a stance on one way or the other (your stances on a variety of them making up your "identity" as a liberal or conservative). However, can it all be traced back to what someone does, or would, think of interpreting the Framers?
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If anything, I think that those would be parts of a definition, not definitions themselves. Even at that, one's interpretation of the Constitution seems a little sketchy to use as the litmus test of one's overall political views.

"Liberal" and "conservative", even if used only in a political context, are still extremely difficult to define, and could not be defined (in my opinion) based on one particular issue. I think it more likely that defining one's views as "more liberal" or "extremely conservative" would be more accurate in most cases; the adjective might add the needed nuance, here. It certainly does not help the situation that the terms are often used as labels to evoke a set of prejudices, which are then applied to individuals; they are merely fuel for a polemical fire, so to speak. Much of the definitional use of these terms is now lost.

> Gahalyn

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