Toward a Fictionless Liberalism*. (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Agassi, Joseph
• Is Part Of: Philosophy of the social sciences. Volume 46:Number 1(2016:Mar.)
• Page Start: 77
• Page End: 91
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Degrees of liberalism -- Liberal Nationalism -- Rawls -- Machiavelli -- Popper -- Hayek -- Liberalism -- Social contract -- Democracy -- Popper; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Périodiques; Sciences sociales -- Méthodologie -- Périodiques; 300.1
• DOI: 10.1177/0048393115612035
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-3931

Abstract

This Companion centers on the fictitious social contract that can be used to justify liberalism. As justification, the theory of the contract either fully justifies a regime as liberal or it fully condemns it as illiberal. This conflicts with the common recognition that liberalism is a matter of degree. John Rawls is taken as the leading light; yet at best the Companion manages to picture him as well-intended but hopelessly confusing.