Thomas A. Spragens Jr.

Getting the Left Right (eBook, ePUB)

The Transformation, Decline, and Reformation of American Liberalism

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

American liberalism has much to be proud of. It is largely responsible for the democratization of political power during the nineteenth century and the harnessing of buccaneer capitalism, for the New Deal's social safety nets and the civil rights legislation of the 1960s. But as the social agendaand perceived snobberyof postsixties liberalism alienated the working classes whose interests liberalism had previously championed, liberal soon became a dirty word on the political landscape.

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Blending political theory with astute analysis of the contemporary scene, Spragens steps back from the high liberalism of John Rawls, Ronald Dworkin, and others, arguing instead that the success of liberalism hinges upon its recognition of the limits of social justice and its rededication to the core values of popular self-rule and universal self-realizationespecially the capacity of ordinary citizens for personal development through education, occupation, and the practice of politics itself.

Spragens first offers a detailed account of the contrast between the older and more recent versions of liberal public philosophy and considers the causes of these political philosophical transformations. He then examines the problematic aspects of contemporary liberalism and provides suggestions for a reoriented social agenda that is more compelling morally and more appealing politically. He concludes by addressing liberals' legitimate concerns about advancing social equality, their worries about imposing values in a pluralistic society, and their fears regarding the possible dangers of self-rule.

Forcefully argued and well grounded within recent debates in political philosophy, Getting the Left Right compellingly argues that if twenty-first century liberalism defines its main mission as the egalitarian reallocation of social resources, it will doom itself to political futility and defeat. But if it instead champions the achievement of a society in which all democratic citizens can govern themselves and lead fulfilling lives, it can write a bright new chapter in its illustrious career.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: University Press of Kansas
• Seitenzahl: 352
• Erscheinungstermin: 29. September 2025
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780700639182
• Artikelnr.: 75674098

Autorenporträt

Thomas A. Spragens Jr. is professor of political science at Duke University and author of six books, including most recently Civic Liberalism: Reflections on Our Democratic Ideals.