Post-Liberalism

Liberalism has long been the dominant ideology of the modern West. In recent years, however, post-liberalism has emerged as a central movement within the 'New Right' and a formidable intellectual challenge to the mainstream. Even American Vice-President J.D. Vance has described himself as part of the 'post-liberal right'. Matt Sleat presents the first comprehensive and critical analysis of post-liberalism. Engaging with the work of key theorists such as Patrick Deneen and Adrian Vermeule, he explores the theological influences on the movement, as well as its affinities and tensions with related New Right projects like National Conservatism. Sleat argues that post-liberalism's politics of the common good rests on a mistaken diagnosis of our soical malaise. Its project, in turn, is not only incoherent and dangerous but likely achievable only through authoritarian and deeply coercive means. He also considers how liberals might respond to post-liberalism, and what its rise reveals about the future of conservative politics. Post-Liberalism is an essential work for students and scholars of political science and philosophy, as well as anyone concerned with the forces reshaping western politics today.

Acknowledgements Introduction: The Post-Liberal Moment? 1. (Mis)Representing Liberalism: The Post-Liberal Critique 2. The Distinctiveness of Post-Liberalism 3. Post-Liberalism as Common Good Conservatism: Patrick Deneen and the Question of Authoritarian Illiberalism 4. Post-Liberalism as Common Good Constitutionalism: Adrian Vermeule and the Fantasies of Political Catholicism 5. Freedom Rediscovered? Liberty in Conditions of Modernity 6. The Prospects of Liberal Perfectionism Conclusion: Post-Liberalism and the Future of the Right Notes References Index