Betty Friedan is widely recognized as one of the most influential voices in 20th-century American feminism. As the author of The Feminine Mystique and a founding member of the National Organization for Women (NOW), her work played a pivotal role in launching the second wave of feminism. While often labeled as a feminist leader, there has been much discussion about whether Betty Friedan can also be categorized as a modern liberal. Understanding her ideological stance requires examining her beliefs, activism, political alliances, and critiques of various political ideologies. This topic explores whether Betty Friedan aligns with modern liberalism and what that means in the context of American political thought.
Understanding Modern Liberalism
Defining Core Principles
Modern liberalism in the United States emphasizes civil rights, social justice, gender equality, economic regulation, and support for government intervention to promote welfare and individual freedoms. Unlike classical liberalism, which prioritizes individual liberty and minimal state involvement, modern liberalism supports policies that address social inequality through governmental action.
Key characteristics of modern liberalism include:
- Advocacy for civil rights and equal protection under the law
- Support for gender and racial equality
- Government programs to assist the disadvantaged
- Economic regulations to ensure fairness
- Freedom of expression and secular governance
In this context, modern liberals are often associated with the Democratic Party, the New Deal, and post-WWII reforms that focused on building a more inclusive and equitable society.
Betty Friedan’s Ideological Foundations
Background and Education
Betty Friedan was born in 1921 in Peoria, Illinois, and studied psychology at Smith College. She later attended graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. Her early experiences in academia and the workforce exposed her to the gender inequalities that would later become central to her activism.
While she did not explicitly identify herself as a liberal in her early writings, her perspective was shaped by progressive ideas. Her views combined a belief in individual freedom with a desire for systemic social reform. This blend aligns with the philosophical underpinnings of modern liberalism.
The Feminine Mystique and Feminist Awakening
Published in 1963, The Feminine Mystique criticized the societal expectations placed on women as housewives and mothers. Friedan argued that women were being denied personal fulfillment and intellectual growth due to restrictive gender roles. The book helped spark the second wave of feminism and challenged both cultural norms and political complacency.
Her call for women’s liberation reflected the modern liberal emphasis on equal opportunity and individual self-determination. She advocated for women’s right to pursue education, employment, and political participation central concerns for liberal social reformers of her era.
Friedan and the National Organization for Women
Founding and Goals
In 1966, Friedan co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) and became its first president. NOW’s mission mirrored many tenets of modern liberalism, focusing on:
- Ending gender discrimination in employment and education
- Ensuring equal legal rights for women
- Securing reproductive freedom and access to contraception
- Promoting child care and family support policies
Friedan’s leadership helped push these issues into the political mainstream. She believed that achieving gender equality required reforming laws and institutions goals consistent with modern liberal priorities.
Strategic Alliances with Liberal Politicians
Friedan worked closely with Democratic lawmakers and supported legislation aligned with the liberal agenda, such as the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and federal funding for childcare. Her collaboration with liberal politicians and reliance on the courts and government policy for reform placed her firmly within the orbit of liberal activism.
Points of Tension Within the Feminist Movement
Conflicts with Radical Feminism
Although Friedan shared many goals with other feminist activists, she often clashed with more radical elements of the movement. Radical feminists called for a complete restructuring of society, challenging patriarchal systems in every form. Friedan, however, believed in working within the existing political framework to achieve incremental change.
She feared that radicalism, particularly its alignment with countercultural and anti-capitalist ideologies, would alienate mainstream support for women’s rights. This pragmatic, reform-oriented approach is characteristic of modern liberalism, which favors gradual progress over revolutionary change.
Criticism of Identity Politics
Later in life, Friedan became critical of what she perceived as the fragmentation of the feminist movement due to the rise of identity politics. She worried that overemphasis on race, sexuality, and intersectionality might undermine solidarity among women.
This position placed her at odds with more progressive and radical thinkers but does not negate her modern liberal identity. Rather, it shows her commitment to a universalist form of liberalism focused on shared goals and national-level policy change.
Public Perception and Political Legacy
Association with Liberal Institutions
Throughout her career, Friedan maintained strong ties with liberal organizations, academic institutions, and media outlets. She frequently appeared in publications such as The New York Times and spoke at Democratic National Committee events. Her reputation as a moderate reformer appealed to those who supported the liberal agenda of the 1960s and 1970s.
Moreover, Friedan’s vision of feminism as a movement for equal citizenship, legal rights, and social participation aligns with the modern liberal belief in expanding democratic inclusion.
Influence on Modern Policy
Many of Friedan’s goals have influenced public policy over the decades. Initiatives like affirmative action, anti-discrimination laws, workplace protections, and reproductive rights reflect the success of liberal advocacy in which she played a major role. These achievements demonstrate the long-term impact of her liberal ideology on American life.
Betty Friedan as a Modern Liberal
Betty Friedan’s life and work embody the values and goals of modern liberalism in the American context. Her advocacy for gender equality, support for legislative reform, belief in government responsibility for social justice, and resistance to extremist ideologies all point to a liberal worldview. While she may not have labeled herself in strict political terms, her alliances, activism, and impact reveal a deep alignment with modern liberal thought. As such, Betty Friedan can be rightly seen not only as a feminist pioneer but also as a key figure in the history of modern American liberalism.