The Role of the Aristocracy in the Establishment of the Freedom Tradition

In modern social philosophy the problems of defining aristocracy, identifying its role in society, establishing the relationship between the categories of tradition and freedom, the study of the tradition of freedom in connection with aristocracy, which is the subject of the present work, are relevant. Aristocracy is a constituent part of the social elite and is defined as a social group formed as a result of stable continuity in the formation of elites with high social status. The aristocracy is the bearer of the principle of political freedom and its guarantor throughout the Middle Ages, contributing to the formation and development of the European liberal tradition. During the XIX century in Western Europe aristocracy of modern type was mainly formed, which is a stable group of social elite, formed in the process of integration of feudal and noble aristocracy, the upper strata of the bourgeoisie, political, military, scientific and cultural elites. The conducted research allows us to conclude that the aristocracy by virtue of its nature is closely connected with the tradition of freedom, remaining its carrier in the modern world as well.