Final answer:
The correct answer is option c) Liberty.
Step-by-step explanation:
Within the discourse of liberal theories, despite internal disputes, the grounding political value is liberty. All liberals agree on the fundamental importance of liberty, which encompasses freedoms such as freedom of speech, to hold property, and freedom of assembly. Even though these theories often engage in balancing acts with values such as equality and democracy, liberty serves as the foundational principle.
For instance, Rawls's theory of justice advocates for basic liberties as a primary principle of society, while egalitarian theories emphasize equal status and moral worth, and ultimately suggest that liberties are necessary to ensure such equality.
Economic arguments within liberalism often address the tension between property rights and equality, with Locke's assertion of a natural right to ownership of property being a classic example. The American Dream itself captures the essence of this balance by embodying the ideal that everyone should have equal opportunity to wealth and improvement, which reinforces the profound link between liberty, especially in economic terms, and the ability to pursue happiness.