Liberal Commitments: Virtue, Education, and Pragmatic Modernity
- ISBN-10
- 0549021825
- ISBN-13
- 9780549021827
- Category
- Liberalism
- Pages
- 492
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2006
- Author
- William McAllister Curtis
Description
Much recent liberal theory has been concerned to purge itself of ethical substance in order to better accommodate ethical pluralism. Against this prevalent minimalist trend, I argue that successful liberal democratic politics requires citizens who possess what I call the "liberal intellect": a robust ethical character cultivated through pluralistic liberal education. Specifically, I argue that the liberal practice of public justification, through which free and equal citizens reason with one another to justify uses of political power, presupposes liberally educated citizens who are prepared to critically engage with ethical pluralism. Such citizens possess the liberal virtues and knowledge that enable them to more effectively comprehend and properly abide by the evolving conception of justice that is authorized through public justification. Minimalist liberal theories that attempt to respect and tolerate pluralism by allowing nonliberal groups to shield their members from liberal education undermine themselves: citizens must be educated to tolerate pluralism. I criticize the liberal theories of John Rawls, William Galston, and John Gray for failing to fully appreciate this point.
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