Leading liberal ideologists 1723 Adam Smith was born (1723–1790)A Scottish thinker and philosopher, a precursor of modern economics. Author of the first economic work Studies on the nature and causes of the wealth of nations (1776). He was a supporter of free trade theory. He introduced the concept of the invisible hand of the market as a set of circumstances determining the behaviour of individuals, which over time was considered as a description of the competition mechanism. He considered the egoism of the individual as something positive, seeing it as the best way of securing the quality of services provided by the individual to others. He did not see the role of technological progress, because he created his works at the dawn of the first industrial revolution that was currently taking place. In his opinion, the role of the state should be limited to protecting citizens against external and internal threats, settling disputes between individuals and protecting the free market and freedom of competition. Thus, the state was to perform the function of a "night watcher", i.e. to guard public order in a way that was not noticed by the majority of citizens., 1748 Jeremy Bentham was born (1748–1832)A philosopher, lawyer and reformer. One of the main representatives of early liberalism, one of the creators of utilitarianism. In his will, he wrote that he passed his body on for scientific purposes, and his mummified skeleton, dressed in period costume and decorated with a wax replica of his head, can still be seen in London. He believed that the rational pursuit of personal happiness increases the general well-being, and that human conduct is moral when it comes to implementing the principle of "the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people"., 1768 Benjamin Constant was born (1767-1830)(French: Henri Benjamin Constant de Rebecque) - A French writer, philosopher and politician of Swiss descent. He was the author of numerous speeches and disquisitions on politics, and an opponent of Napoleon. He is considered to be one of the fathers of liberalism, he was the creator of the theory of constitutional monarchy. He believed that the basic problem was the scope of power, because even the rule of the people could be despotic and impose the will of the individual. However, freedom is the right of the individual to a sphere of privacy, independent from power and others. This freedom is to be guaranteed by the law - the property right and the right to be active in society., 1805 Alexis de Tocqueville was born (1805-1859)A French thinker, historian and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs since 1848 (during the French Second Republic). In the 1830s, he analysed and described in detail American democracy, which made him famous. He then traveled the entire area of this country, having had thousands of conversations with people of different faiths, ethnic groups, professions, social classes and political views. He noticed not only political institutions unknown in Europe, but also a new, egalitarian social system shaping all areas of collective life. He was convinced that the democratisation of European societies was an inevitable process. However, by democracy he meant not so much a certain type of political system as a type of society, which, depending on the circumstances, may have different political forms. He believed that its evolution into autocracy could and should be prevented by the self-organisation of society. He was also convinced that the individual in a democratic society was characterised by a concentration on private matters, a lack of a sense of responsibility towards society, and a strong envy towards those who had been more successful., 1806 John Stuart Mill was born (1806-1873)Portrayed in the photograph with his long-time associate Helen Taylor - a liberal from the second half of the 19th century, free from the illusions of his predecessors, a bright observer of the reality of the time, aware of the social costs of capitalist changes. Like Bentham, he was a utilitarian, he added new elements to liberal thought. He believed that freedom allows people to live in a dignified way, but as the greatest good it is constantly endangered. It was not only the absolutism of the monarchs that could destroy it. To the same extent, freedom is threatened by the despotism of demagogues who refer to the emotions of the revolted masses. He believed that the cure for such a threat was common education, which should precede the introduction of universal suffrage (i.e. democratisation of political life). He demanded state intervention in defence of the weaker. He was one of the most important allies of women’s emancipatory pursuits in Europe at that time.