Postmodern Liberalism as a New Humanism

Diogenes 52 (2):63-70 (2005)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

John Gray argues that the modern conception of man is common for all variants of the liberal tradition. The version of liberalism which is defended in this paper cannot be called ‘classical’ because it refuses the conception in question (it refuses such elements of it as, for example, claims of universality, idea of neutral Reason, idea of human nature). That is why the best label which can be given to it is ‘postmodern’ or ‘communitarian’ liberalism. Moreover, postmodern liberalism does not express any reluctance toward community as such. It only requires a community which respects the rights of individuals to autonomous, moral and comprehensive choices. In this sense one can say that postmodern liberalism renounces anti-social biases while remaining faithful to individualism, which - starting with the social and the common - arrives at the truly individual. In this way it can revitalize the sense and meaning of humanism understood as the idea of life of human beings who can create their own lives independently and freely in the political and social milieu, promoting justice and solidarity

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Renaissance humanism: foundations, forms, and legacy.Albert Rabil (ed.) - 1988 - Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
The postmodern God: a theological reader.Graham Ward (ed.) - 1997 - Malden, Mass.: Blackwell.
Liberalism and humanism.Robert E. Gahringer - 1955 - Ethics 66 (1):36-50.
Democratic humanism and American literature.Harold Kaplan - 1972 - Chicago,: University of Chicago Press.
Humanism: an introduction.Jim Herrick - 2003 - Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books.

Analytics

Added to PP
2010-08-10

Downloads
25 (#540,419)

6 months
2 (#658,980)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Andrzej Szahaj
Nicolaus Copernicus University

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Political Liberalism.Charles Larmore - 1990 - Political Theory 18 (3):339-360.
Pluralism and social unity.William A. Galston - 1989 - Ethics 99 (4):711-726.

Add more references