A Post-Liberal Society?

Abstract

Post-liberalism is a term which come in for a lot of attention recently, and its exact nature as a concept has been the subject of much debate. Since this book has been defending liberal democracy (again, interpreted in a broad sense), the relationship between it and post-liberalism needs to be addressed. The chapter concedes that liberal democracy requires reform, but questions whether that means it should become post-liberal in the far right’s conception of the notion, which is more like ‘illiberalism’ than an extension of the liberal ethos as currently understood. Illiberalism is very much tied up with the post-truth movement, and at that point the threat post-truth poses to liberal democratic ideals becomes very apparent. John Gray’s work on both liberalism and post-liberalism is discussed, and his belief in the virtue of a ‘postmodern liberal conservatism’ to prevent the spread of illiberalism considered.