Overview

Individual freedom looms large in political and ethical thought. Nevertheless, the theoretical foundations underlying modern liberalism continue to be contested by proponents and opponents alike. The Myth of Liberalism offers a unique contribution to this debate by following through on the often-underdeveloped suggestion that liberal principles are untenable because they are self-contradictory. By analyzing and ultimately refuting each of the proposed underpinnings of liberalism—liberty, equality, rights, privacy, autonomy, or dignity—Safranek concludes that contemporary liberalism is a myth: it is not a coherent political philosophy as much as a collection of causes masked by emotively potent political rhetoric. Safranek marshals thorough evidence to make the case that each of the allegedly fundamental liberal principles amount to the right to do as one desires. As a result, liberalism’s proponents must offer some method or principle to mediate the inevitable conflict of desires. In fact, all liberal scholars invoke some form of John Stuart Mill’s harm principle to proscribe unacceptable desires. But this leads to self-contradiction: because all acknowledge that harm can be psychological as well as physical, anyone suffers harm when his act is legally prohibited, as this denies him the object of his desires (liberty) for the sake of another’s desires. Therefore any right advanced in the name of liberty contradicts that very principle. While finding inherent flaws in liberal justifications for personal liberty, including rights to same-sex marriage, abortion, and assisted suicide, Safranek reveals the consequences of the contemporary liberaldisdain for morality as a basis for law and constitutional rights. To correct for these shortcomings of the modern liberal notions of freedom, which are grounded in the passions, The Myth of Liberalism proposes an alternative way of safeguarding the human desire for liberty: a cogent retrieval of a pre-modern intellectual tradition that esteems reason and virtue.

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9780813227931

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Reviews

This is a timely volume by an author who is both a practicing physician and a philosopher. Drawing upon both his professional experience and the perennial philosophy of Aristotle and Aquinas, he challenges the liberal zeitgeist which prevails in centers, high and low, throughout the Western world. --Jude Dougherty, The Wanderer Safranek has an excellent grasp of the philosophers of law, and argues widely and well Recommended for all academic libraries. --Daniel Boice, Catholic Library World generally good review --Tom Bateman, Voegelinview.com A compelling analysis of today's dominant ideology and its discontents, The Myth of Liberalism is clear, forcefully argued, and much needed. - R.R. Reno, Editor, First Things The Myth of Liberalism brings extensive legal and philosophical analysis and argumentation to bear in making its case against liberalism. Safranek's work complements other powerful critiques of liberalism, and perhaps Alasdair Maclntyre's After Virtue in particular, in that it demonstrates why one of the principal reasons that our moral discourse is broken and cannot seem to find consensus about countless fundamental moral issues is that our discourse is entangled in the contradictions of the principles of liberalism itself. . . . a fascinating and well-argued volume. - Christopher M. Cullen, SJ, Fordham University --

Author Information

John Safranek is an emergency room physician at Columbus Community Hospital, Columbus, Nebaraska, USA.

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