A liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising a ferroelectric liquid crystal material having spontaneous polarization. The liquid crystal material is sandwiched between substrates having TFTs thereon. When the liquid crystal material is driven with the TFTs, the TFTs apply a voltage in different polarities to switch the material between first and second states. This voltage for switching is required to be larger than the voltage that is necessary to maintain the present state of the liquid crystal material. To facilitate switching, the threshold value for inversion of the ferroelectric liquid crystal material preferably has a small value of 0.1 to 4 V. Preferably, the liquid crystal material shows uniform orientation or multi-microdomain orientation. There is also disclosed a liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising a liquid crystal material having spontaneous polarization. The liquid crystal material is sandwiched between transparent substrates having electrodes thereon. An orienting means is provided on one of the substrates surfaces which are in contact with the liquid crystal material to orient the liquid crystal material along one axis. When no voltage is applied from the electrodes to the liquid crystal material, the spontaneous polarization shows splay orientation between the substrates. When a voltage is applied, the spontaneous polarization shows uniform orientation.