What's the Matter with Liberalism? by Ronald Beiner

What's the Matter with Liberalism? by Ronald Beiner

In the wake of the revolutions of 1989, the ongoing political turmoil in the Soviet Union, and the democratization of most of Latin America, what is the task of political theorists? Ronald Beiner's invigorating critique of liberal theory and liberal practices takes on the shibboleths of modern Western discourse. He confronts the aridity of liberal societies that possess incommensurable 'values' and 'rights,' but no principles. To Beiner, this neutralist view is both a false description of liberal society and an incoherent political ideal. Rather, he encourages the theorist to remain faithful to the important task of questioning and criticism, instead of serving as a source of ideological reassurance about our own superiority.Beiner looks to the Socratic tradition for guidance. Permitting ethos to replace values, and discourse about 'the good' to replace talk about 'rights,' the theorist is able to reorder social priorities. Considered in this light, the liberal political philosophy of the 1970s and 1980s appears insufficiently Socratic, as does a liberal way of life that presents itself as a model of imitation. Polemical, impassioned, and brilliantly argued, What's the Matter with Liberalism? is essential reading for everyone who cares about contemporary theory and the future of liberal society.

Ronald Beiner is Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. He is the author of Political Judgment (1984) and editor of Hannah Arendt's Lectures on Kant's Political Philosophy (1982).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780520203358
ISBN 10	0520203356
Title	What's the Matter with Liberalism?
Author	Ronald Beiner
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	University of California Press
Year published	1995-10-09
Number of pages	208
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.