After a COVID-induced hiatus, Ideas Matter is back better than ever. Today we take a break from our usual format to consider a singular philosophy in greater depth, namely, Liberalism.
Liberalism is so pervasive its assumptions appear to us (Westerners) as common-sensical assumptions. Individualism, a rights-based approach to justice, and rational choice theory are so ubiquitous they've become the socio-cultural air that we breathe. But where do these ideas come from?
Sources used:
'Liberal Equality' in Contemporary Political Philosophy (second edition) by William Kymlicka
'Liberal Individualism and Liberal Neutrality' in Contemporary Political Theory: A Reader by William Kymlicka
'Political Liberalism' in The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities by John J. Mearsheimer
Follow us on twitter and instagram @ideasmatterpod, or email us at
[email protected]