Montesquieu's liberalism and the problem of universal politics / Keegan Callanan, Middlebury College.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Callanan, Keegan, 1981-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat, baron de, 1689-1755.

Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat.

Liberalism--Philosophy.

Liberalism.

Political culture--Philosophy.

Political culture.

Physical Description:

xi, 303 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Summary:

Dubbed 'the oracle' by no less an authority than James Madison, Montesquieu stands as a theoretical founder of the liberal political tradition. But equally central to his project was his account of the relationship of law to each nation's particular customs and place, a teaching that militates against universal political solutions. This teaching has sometimes been thought to stand in tension with his liberal constitutionalism. In this book, Keegan Callanan argues that Montesquieu's political particularism and liberalism are complementary and mutually reinforcing parts of a coherent whole. In developing this argument, Callanan considers Montesquieu's regime pluralism, psychological conception of liberty, approach to political reform, and account of 'the customs of a free people', including the complex interaction of religion and commerce. Callanan concludes that, by re-orienting our understanding of liberalism and redirecting our attention toward liberty's distinctive preconditions, a return to Montesquieu's political philosophy leaves us better prepared to confront liberal democracy's contested claim to universality.

Contents:

Introduction

Montesquieu and classical particularism

Montesquieu and humanist constitutionalism

Regime pluralism

Understanding liberal culture

Religion, secularism, and liberal society

The spirit of tolerance and gentleness

Political change and the psychology of liberty

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781108428170

1108428177

9781108450232

1108450237

OCLC:

1028605982