The founding of the Swiss Confederation was a bumpy process - not only politically, but also practically, as the chaotic journey of the first parliamentarians shows. The book "Struggle for Freedom" sheds light on the history of Swiss liberalism and its continuing challenges.
At the dawn of 2025, the world casts its watchful gaze upon America, for the new – yet familiar – president remains a figure to whom many struggle to acclimate. How much will Trump actually be able to realise this time around?
Laziness is a state of freedom, says Austrian literary scholar Daniela Strigl. One can agree with that, but only if one's own laziness is not at the expense of hard-working third parties.
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.
The "legendary" words of Abraham Lincoln about the strong and the weak and the dangers of debt were never spoken by him. They were not written until long after his assassination by a preacher of German descent. But they have retained their validity in their practical dimension.
For almost all economic, many social and even some health problems of our time, an astonishing number of contemporaries only know one scapegoat. The blame lies with "evil neoliberalism". But what about the characteristics attributed to it, deregulation, austerity, social cuts and global competition? A fact check.
Equality from the start is a great liberal good. However, if children are transferred from family to collective care too early due to a fixation on equality, this damages a pillar of liberal society.
What is a good democracy? When does it threaten to erode and what happens after the framework agreement? Historian Oliver Zimmer and journalist Beat Kappeler discussed these questions in public in Zurich.
Zwischen Aktiengesellschaften und Pensionskassen gibt es Ähnlichkeiten. Doch während Aktionäre mit den Füssen abstimmen können, ist dies für Pensionskassen-Versicherte kaum möglich.