A liquid crystal element is provided, comprising a pair of transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer which fills in between the pair of substrates and can form a chiral smectic C phase in homeotropic orientation, and an electrode which generates, at least, an electric field (parallel electric field) in directions parallel to a principal face of the substrate for the liquid crystal layer is provided, wherein the liquid crystal layer comprises, at least, a chiral compound of the following general formula (1-I) or a chiral compound of the following general formula (2-I) and a chiral compound of the following general formula (2-II) in a base liquid crystal material which can provide a phase sequence of an isotropic liquid phase, a nematic phase, a smectic A phase and a smectic C phase from a higher temperature side, wherein R<1>, A<2>, Z<1>, Z<2>, m and l in formula (1-I), X, R<1>, R<2>, and * in formula (2-I), and X, R<3>, R<4>, R<5>, and * in formula (2-II) are defined in the specification.