The Value of Freedom: A Postliberal Defense of Liberalism

• In Event: Strauss, Arendt, Churchill, and Liberalism

Abstract

The last few years have seen a surge in postliberal thought by authors such as Patrick Deneen and Adrian Vermeule. These authors reject, perhaps correctly, the Liberal project of securing governance that is agnostic toward any vision of the good life. However, critics accuse postliberals of advocating a descent into positively illiberal governance--of moving beyond the pursuit of real goods to various kinds of authoritarianism. And in at least some cases, the critique may be fair. In this paper, I argue that postliberal political theory itself demands a liberal approach to political institutions. Specifically, I argue that four key political technologies--constitutionalism, individual rights protections, democractic governance, and a general atmosphere of freedom--are not arbitrary preferences of modern societies but are all aimed at securing real human goods. Hence, those drawn to a postliberal emphasis on fostering the good should proceed with respect for these political technologies.

Author

• Jonathan Daniel Ashbach, University of Toledo (Ohio)