The bounds of liberalism : the fragility of freedom / Neville Brown.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Brown, Neville.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Liberalism.

Equality.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (364 p.)

Place of Publication:

Brighton : Sussex Academic Press, 2014.

Summary:

The central question at the heart of this consideration is how far the West may need to modify or extend the liberal philosophy that informs its responses to the multiple world crises it is currently addressing. The book provides a review of the strengths and weaknesses of a social liberalism that, broadly speaking, occupies the ground between the moderate Right and the moderate Left, and is founded upon the conviction that the world, in 50 years, will be either considerably better than it is currently or else a good deal worse. This study argues that those concerned with ensuring the former outcome should promote the spread of well-founded democracy among emergent states, without forgetting to look stringently at how well democratic institutions may function in the mass societies of the West. The author applies his expertise in history, international security, planetary development, and applied geophysics in discussing issues such as climate change and resource depletion; community decay, data saturation, democratic devolution, and medical philosophy; and biowarfare, international political economy, and a planetary ethos. He argues that humanity is passing through an evolutionary transition as impacting as that between the Old and the New Stone Ages, and that humankind's perspectives on the immediate future may be honed by free-ranging speculation about what it can anticipate over the next few centuries.

Contents:

Front Cover

About this book

About the Author

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Preface

The Author

Approaches to Analysis

Chapter 1: Evolutionary Legacies

1 Our Deeper Past

2 A Northerly Inclination

Chapter 2: Whence Social Liberalism?

1 Through the Enlightenment

2 Left versus Right

Chapter 3: Testing Experience

1 Planetary Liberalism

2 Distracted by War

Chapter 4: The Communist Crash

1 From Marx to Fromm

2 The Cold War

Chapter 5: Whither Social Liberalism?

1 Pathways to Prescription

2 Rational or Reasonable

Accommodating Science

Chapter 6: Digital Deluge

Chapter 7: Biology Rampant

Chapter 8: The Ultimate Challenges

1 Defended Peace

2 To Here from Eternity

Parametric Change

Chapter 9: Global Outreach

1 Planetary Horizons

2 Democracy Assertive

3 Currency Management

Chapter 10: Elusive Fulfilment

1 Shallow Satisfaction

2 Anomie

Chapter 11: Urgent Concerns

Holistic Response

Chapter 12: Sovereign Governance

Chapter 13: Scientific Liberalism

Chapter 14: A Liberal Reconnaissance

1 Bodies Politic

2 Planetary Patriotism

Chapter 15: Two Tough Centuries?

Appendix A Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Appendix B Acute Natural Hazards

Appendix C The High Seas

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-78284-124-5

1-78284-126-1

OCLC:

922907300