The Tyranny of Opinion: Conformity and the Future of Liberalism

The Tyranny of Opinion: Conformity and the Future of Liberalism
ISBN-10
1350056014
ISBN-13
9781350056015
Category
Philosophy
Pages
240
Language
English
Published
2018-10-18
Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing
Author
Russell Blackford

Description

We live in an age of ideology, propaganda, and tribalism. Political conformity is enforced from many sides; the insidious social control that John Stuart Mill called "the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling.†? Liberal or left-minded people are often more afraid of each other than of their conservative or right wing opponents. Social media and call-out-culture makes it easier to name, shame, ostracize and harass non-conformists, and destroys careers and lives. How can we oppose this, regaining freedom and our sense of ourselves as individuals? The Tyranny of Opinion identifies the problem, defines its character, and proposes strategies of resistance. Russell Blackford calls for an end to ideological purity policing and for recommitment to the foundational liberal values of individual liberty and spontaneity, free inquiry, diverse opinion, and honest debate.

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