A defense of liberalism, understood as a perfectionist doctrine that presupposes an ideal but controversial notion of human well-being. Drawing on recent developments in liberal theory, Bert van den Brink develops an alternative defense of liberalism. He argues that liberal theorists should admit that their doctrine is not neutral with regard to conceptions of the good life--that it in fact fosters ideals of personal autonomy and a pluralist environment. These ideals generate irreconcilable, tragic conflicts between liberal and nonliberal ideals, and it is only by taking these conflicts seriously that liberals can learn of the unwanted consequences of liberal doctrine, effectively rebut critics, and react adequately to the complex pluralism of contemporary societies.

zlib/Society, Politics & Philosophy/Government & Politics/Bert Van Den Brink/The Tragedy of Liberalism: An Alternative Defense of a Political Tradition_690318.chm

Tragedy of Liberalism, The : An Alternative Defense of a Political Tradition

Brink, Bert van den

van den Brink, Bert

SUNY series in social and political thought, Albany, N.Y, ©2000

State University of New York Press, Albany, N.Y., 2000

United States, United States of America

November 15, 2000

September 2000

0

lg260222

{"isbns":["0791446697","0791446700","9780791446690","9780791446706"],"last_page":270,"publisher":"State University of New York Press","series":"S U N Y Series in Social and Political Thought"}

Drawing On Recent Developments In Liberal Theory, Bert Van Den Brink Develops An Alternative Defense Of Liberalism. He Argues That Liberal Theorists Should Admit That Their Doctrine Is Not Neutral With Regard To Conceptions Of The Good Life - That It In Fact Fosters Ideals Of Personal Autonomy And A Pluralist Environment. These Ideals Generate Irreconcilable, Tragic Conflicts Between Liberal And Nonliberal Ideals, And It Is Only By Taking These Conflicts Seriously That Liberals Can Learn Of The Unwanted Consequences Of Liberal Doctrine, Effectively Rebut Critics, And React Adequately To The Complex Pluralism Of Contemporary Societies.--jacket. Part 1: Liberalism, Pluralism, And Tragedy -- Chapter 1: Liberalism And Moral Pluralism -- Liberalism -- Pluralism And How (not) To Defend Liberalism -- Chapter 2: The Tragedy Of Liberalism -- Two Views Of Tragic Liberalism -- A Working Hypothesis -- Part 2: Political Liberalism Versus Liberal Perfectionism -- Chapter 3: Political Liberalism: Justification Through Public Reason -- John Rawls: Political Liberalism -- The Two-stage Path To An Overlapping Consensus: A Critique -- Chapter 4: Liberal Perfectionism: Autonomy And Pluralism -- Joseph Raz: Liberal Perfectionism -- The Limits Of Perfectionism -- Rephrasing Some Key Concepts Of Liberal Thought -- Conclusions To Part 2 -- Part 3: Deliberative Democracy As A Way Out? -- Chapter 5: Discourse Theory And Moral Character -- Preliminary Remarks On Deliberative Democracy -- Jurgen Habermas: Theoretical Foundations Of Public Deliberation -- Discourse Ethics And The Limits Of Formalism And Proceduralims --^ Discourse Ethics, Moral Character, And Pluralism -- Chapter 6: Law, Democracy, And Deliberation -- Law And Deliberative Democracy -- The Limits Of Deliberative Democracy -- Another Revision Of Key Concepts Of Liberal Thought -- Conclusions To Part 3 -- Part 4: Liberal Community, Mutual Recognition, And Citizenship Virtue -- Chapter 7: Liberal Community And The Normative Potential Of Tragic Conflict -- Christoph Menke's Typology Of Tragic Conflicts -- Toward An Understanding Of Liberal Community -- Chapter 8: Struggles For Recognition And Tragic Conflicts -- Axel Honneth's Theory Of Recognition -- Struggles For Recognition And The Tragedy Of Liberalism -- Chapter 9: Vulnerability And Responsibilities Of Liberal Citizenship -- Vulnerability And Responsibility -- Virtues And Responsibility -- Virtues Of Liberal Citizenship -- Conclusions To Part 4 -- Chapter 10: Multiculturalism And Cultural Authenticity -- How (not) To Talk About Multiculturalism --^ A Liberal-communitarian Perspective: Charles Taylor -- Chapter 11: Two Liberal Views Of Multiculturalism -- Jeremy Waldron's Cosmopolitan Alternative -- Will Kymlicka's Group-differentiated Rights Approach -- Conclusions To Part 5. Bert Van Den Brink. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 253-260) And Index.

A defense of liberalism, understood as a perfectionist doctrine that presupposes an ideal but controversial notion of human well-being.Drawing on recent developments in liberal theory, Bert van den Brink develops an alternative defense of liberalism. He argues that liberal theorists should admit that their doctrine is not neutral with regard to conceptions of the good life—that it in fact fosters ideals of personal autonomy and a pluralist environment. These ideals generate irreconcilable, tragic conflicts between liberal and nonliberal ideals, and it is only by taking these conflicts seriously that liberals can learn of the unwanted consequences of liberal doctrine, effectively rebut critics, and react adequately to the complex pluralism of contemporary societies.Bert van den Brink is a Research Fellow on the Faculty of Law at Tilburg University, The Netherlands and coeditor of Bürgergesellschaft, Recht und Demokratie.

2010-05-31