We cannot claim to want a better and more tolerant world while simultaneously creating distance between ourselves and those with whom we disagree. To overcome the exercise in collective insanity that is political polarization, we must separate the politics from the individual.
The first task of classical liberalism is to understand social order; normative conclusions must follow and flow from that understanding.
If any part of liberalism needs revitalizing, it’s the case for liberalizing immigration. Nationalists on the left and right argue that easing immigration restrictions would make Americans worse off. During the Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders criticized open borders as a “right-wing proposal” that would “make everybody in America poorer.” And of course Donald Trump is calling […]
Even well informed people of good will have very different religious, moral, and philosophic views.
A society can’t close itself off and remain free.
Kant was self-consciously an Enlightenment liberal who believed in limited government and maximum freedom.
Identity politics, usually portrayed as a spectre haunting liberalism, is actually key to understanding uprisings against state power.
So 2016 is limping to an end with an assassination of an ambassador, another “inspired” attack on innocents at a Christmas market, and the formal election of a master crony-capitalist to the office of the presidency of the United States.
In 1950, a British dry cleaner refused to show his papers and brought down the whole system of national identity registration.
While many did not predict the outcome of this election, everyone knew one thing: half of the country would be devastated.
Collective punishment is unjust. This is the case whether it is employed by governments, corporations, teachers, or parents.
Classical liberals all agree that government should be limited, but they disagree about how they get to that conclusion.
Toleration is the cornerstone of liberalism. Washington understood this and urged future generations to honor this commitment.