Freedom and responsibility have brought Switzerland success. But the foundations have become fragile. What might the liberalism of the 21st century look like?
Oliver Zimmer, author of "Preachers of Truth", describes the historical and cultural impact of the Reformation on contemporary understandings of power, authority and truth.
The words that Loriot put into the mouth of one of his fictional characters in 1977 were almost prophetic: In the liberal sense, liberal doesn't just mean liberal. Today, with a little imagination, almost anything can be apostrophized as liberal.
The language police are cleaning up the confectionery shelves: a Basel bakery chain has turned the allegedly sexist "Meitlibei" into a harmless "good luck charm". This is reminiscent of the campaign against the Mohrenkopf. But is everyone who makes, eats or uses the word Mohrenkopf a violent racist?
Liberalism demands a lot from people. Life in freedom is uncomfortable and exhausting, characterized by insecurity and inequality. Liberal society does not promise a land of milk and honey, but that is precisely why it is humane.
Our view of history is often distorted when it comes to the economy. On the one hand, the industrial revolution is often only perceived in terms of social misery. On the other hand, the importance of the economy and, above all, entrepreneurs is massively underestimated.