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 agenda--and perceived snobbery--of
postsixties liberalism alienated the working classes whose
interests liberalism had previously championed, "liberal" soon
became a dirty word on the political landscape.
Noted scholar Thomas Spragens seeks to uncover the animating
purposes, changes, problems, and prospects of liberalism as it is
understood in today's political discourse. For if liberalism is to
regain its rightful standing, he argues, it needs to recover its
populist heart-to recommit itself to the ideal of government of,
by, and for the people envisioned by Lincoln.
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-realization-especially 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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