Elgar Political Theory series – serie

Liberalism, conceived as that set of political doctrines that proposes the liberty of the population as a justification for state authority, is currently undergoing a process of critique and problematisation. Indeed, we appear to be reaching a moment at which liberal hegemony could be thought to be, if not coming to an end, then at least weakening under sustained pressure.Since much of this pressure currently comes from the political right, it is an apt moment to bring together and analyse the rich theoretical arguments that those on the philosophical and intellectual right have produced since the French Revolution, in order to make sense of the current political moment. This book provides this with a collection of essays from writers from across the globe, situated in a variety of disciplines, including history, law, political science and computing, whose contributions trace the roots of the conservative critique of liberalism and predict its trajectory.A valuable toolkit for scholars and students interested in the relationship between conservatism and liberalism, this book is a vital one for those in the disciplines of political science, philosophy, history, law and sociology.

This incisive book develops a distinctive understanding of liberal democracy as ideologically open proceduralism. Daryl Glaser provides a novel framework for rendering democracy more substantive and defending it against its enemies without constricting ideological openness.Examining whether democracy properly inscribes conceptions of goodness and justice, Glaser identifies substantivism as a distinctive, but sometimes invisible, enemy of liberal democracy. He proposes a unique theorization of the role of notions of form, procedure and substance in democratic theory, introducing a taxonomy of democratic substances and modes of substantiation. Seeking clarification on the relationship between liberalism and democracy, and between ideological projects and democracy, the book explores how to build a substantive democracy which maintains the baseline democratic requirement of free ideological choice expressed by political equals.The Substance in Liberal Democracy is an essential resource for scholars and students of public policy, political theory and international relations. Policymakers and campaigners advocating for democratic reform will similarly benefit from its groundbreaking insights and practical recommendations.