Key Concepts

Liberalism

Paul Kelly

Overview

Liberalism is an innovative introductory textbook exploring the dominant discourse of contemporary political theory and the core ideas that underpin it. Despite the ubiquity of liberalism there remains considerable disagreement about what contemporary political liberals believe. This book distinguishes modern political liberalism from earlier manifestations of the concept, yet shows how contemporary liberalism is derived from a long-standing historical tradition that includes John Locke, Immanuel Kant and J. S. Mill.

Contemporary liberalism combines ideas from this historical tradition to make a political theory that places at its heart the equal treatment of each person. Paul Kelly provides an overview of the basic building blocks of contemporary liberalism – contractarianism, impartiality, justice and freedom, – and introduces students to the ideas of its key theorists John Rawls, Brian Barry and Ronald Dworkin. He goes on to consider three major challenges facing liberalism today and concludes with a defence of the continuing relevance of political liberalism in the contemporary world.

About the Author

Paul Kelly is Professor of Political Theory in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics.

Table of Contents

  • 1. What is Liberalism?
  • 2. The Sources of Liberal Equality
  • 3. The Social Contract
  • 4. Liberalism and Liberty
  • 5. Liberalism and Equality
  • 6. How Political is Political Liberalism?
  • 7. False Neutrality and Ethnocentrism
  • 8. Liberalism the State and Beyond

Bibliography

Endorsements

“Anyone wanting a lucid and accessible example of state-of-the-art political philosophy need look no further. In brief compass, Paul Kelly sets out an idea of liberal equality for our times, explains its rationale and defends it against a wide variety of challenges. I don't know how he managed to accomplish all this in a short book – I know it would have been beyond me.”

— Professor Brian Barry, Lieber Professor of Political Philosophy, Columbia University

“This is a first-rate introduction to the philosophy and politics of contemporary liberal thought. Kelly offers more than a careful and concise statement of liberal egalitarianism. He also traces its historical roots, explains its many attractions, and rebuts fashionable but misplaced objections to it.”

— Dr Matthew Clayton, Department of Politics & International Studies, University of Warwick

Available titles

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  1. Barbara Adam, Time
  2. Alan Aldridge, Consumption
  3. Alan Aldridge, The Market
  4. Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer, Disability
  5. Darin Barney, Network Society
  6. Mildred Blaxter, Health
  7. Harriet Bradley, Gender
  8. Harry Brighouse, Justice
  9. Steve Bruce, Fundamentalism 2nd Edition
  10. Margaret Canovan, The People
  11. Alejandro Colás, Empire
  12. Anthony Elliott, Concepts of the Self 2nd Edition
  13. Steve Fenton, Ethnicity
  14. Michael Freeman, Human Rights
  15. Russell Hardin, Trust
  16. Fred Inglis, Culture
  17. Jennifer Jackson Preece, Minority Rights
  18. Paul Kelly, Liberalism
  19. Anne Mette Kjær, Governance
  20. Ruth Lister, Poverty
  21. Jon Mandle, Global Justice
  22. Judith Phillips, Care
  23. Michael Saward, Democracy
  24. John Scott, Power
  25. Anthony D. Smith, Nationalism
  26. Stuart White, Equality
  1. Care, Judith Phillips
  2. Concepts of the Self 2nd Edition, Anthony Elliott
  3. Consumption, Alan Aldridge
  4. Culture, Fred Inglis
  5. Democracy, Michael Saward
  6. Disability, Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer
  7. Empire, Alejandro Colás
  8. Equality, Stuart White
  9. Ethnicity, Steve Fenton
  10. Fundamentalism 2nd Edition, Steve Bruce
  11. Health, Mildred Blaxter
  12. Human Rights, Michael Freeman
  13. Justice, Harry Brighouse
  14. Gender, Harriet Bradley
  15. Global Justice, Jon Mandle
  16. Governance, Anne Mette Kjær
  17. Liberalism, Paul Kelly
  18. The Market, Alan Aldridge
  19. Minority Rights, Jennifer Jackson Preece
  20. Nationalism, Anthony D. Smith
  21. Network Society, Darin Barney
  22. The People, Margaret Canovan
  23. Poverty, Ruth Lister
  24. Power, John Scott
  25. Time, Barbara Adam
  26. Trust, Russell Hardin

 

Forthcoming titles

  1. Garrett Wallace Brown, Cosmopolitanism
  2. Craig Calhoun, Community
  3. Costas M. Constantinou, Diplomacy
  4. Keith Dowding, Rational Choice
  5. Katrin Flikschuh, Freedom
  6. John Gearson, Terrorism
  7. James Gow, War
  8. Geoffrey Ingham, Capitalism
  9. Robert Jackson, Sovereignty
  10. Gill Jones, Youth
  11. Bob Jessop, The State
  12. Peter Jones, Toleration
  13. Keith Krause, Security
  14. Chandran Kukathas, Multiculturalism
  15. George Lawson, Revolution
  16. Anthony Payne and Nicola Phillips, Development
  17. Christopher Phillipson, Ageing
  18. Lord Raymond Plant, Citizenship
  19. Kenneth Prandy, Social Mobility
  20. Timothy Sinclair, Global Governance