Description
Book SynopsisLiberalism: The Basics is an engaging and accessible introduction to liberalism. The author provides a comprehensive overview of liberal practices, liberal values and critically analyses liberal theories, allowing for a richer understanding of liberalism as a whole.
The book is divided into three parts:
- Liberal practices: the rule of law, free speech, freedom of association and movement, economic freedom and sexual freedom.
- Liberal values: freedom, autonomy, equality, and the universal values of political societies â the communal identity â and well-being of their members.
- Liberal theories: natural rights, utilitarianism, Kant's rationalism and the contemporary theories of John Rawls and the post-Rawlsians.
Presented in a clear and concise way, this book will be an ideal introduction for students and scholars of liberalism, political philosophy, political theory and political ideology.
Trade Review"John Charvet’s Liberalism is lively, opinionated, full of examples, and always admirably clear. The route from practices to values to theory takes the reader from actual liberal societies to its inner architecture. Anyone wanting to know what liberalism stands for and why, need look no further than this book." – Jonathan Seglow, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.
"This is a lively and original introduction to liberalism. Charvet articulates a distinctive understanding of liberalism as set of practices embedded in modern social life and provides an engaging exploration of the role played by liberal ideas in contemporary political controversies." - Cillian McBride, Queen’s University Belfast, UK.
Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Liberal Practices 1. The Idea of a Practice and the Initial Distinction between Liberal and Illiberal Societies 2. The Rule of Law 3. Free Speech 4. Freedom of Association and Movement 5. Economic Freedom 6. Sexual Freedom Part II: Liberal Values. Introduction 7. The Idea and Value of Freedom 8. The Equality of the Participants 9. Community 10. Liberalism and Human Well-being Part III: Liberal Theories. Introduction 11. Libertarian Theories 12. Utilitarian Theories of Liberalism 13. Kant's Idea of Freedom as Rational Self-determination 14. Contemporary Theories of Liberalism
