CEHV's Eric MacGilvray publishes new book on Liberalism and Polarization

September 26, 2022

CEHV's Eric MacGilvray publishes new book on Liberalism and Polarization

MacGilvray and Book Cover

CEHV Steering Committee member Eric MacGilvray has published a new book from Cambridge University Press entitled Liberal Freedom: Pluralism, Polarization, and Politics

From the book:
We seem to be losing the ability to talk to each other about our political differences. The liberal tradition, with its emphasis on open-mindedness, toleration, and inclusion, is ideally suited to respond to this challenge. Yet liberalism is often seen today as a barrier to constructive dialogue: narrowly focused on individual rights, indifferent to the communal sources of human well-being, and deeply implicated in structures of economic and social domination. This book provides a novel defense of liberalism that weaves together a commitment to republic self-government, an emphasis on the value of unregulated choice, and an appreciation of how hard it is to strike a balance between them.


Dr. Eric MacGilvray is Professor of Political Science and Philosophy (by courtesy) and Chair of the Steering Committee for the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) undergraduate major. At CEHV he has helped to lead our Conversations on Morality, Politics, and Morality (COMPAS) program and our Civil Discourse for Citizenship initiative.