The Life and Times of Liberal Democracy

Download or read book The Life and Times of Liberal Democracy written by Crawford Brough Macpherson and published by Oxford [Eng.] : Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1977 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this brief but powerful book, acclaimed political philosopher C.B. Macpherson sets out in bold relief the essence of liberal democracy, both as it is currently conceived and as it might be reimagined. Macpherson argues that from its beginnings liberal democracy has accepted the underpinning principle of capitalist societies, that the "market maketh man." If that remains the central assumption of liberal democracy, Macpherson declares, then as an organizing framework for society, liberal democracy has reached the end of its useful life. But if a broader concept of liberal democracy is accepted-"if [Macpherson writes] liberal democracy is taken to mean a society striving to ensure that all its members are equally free to realize their capabilities"--The great days of liberal democracy may yet lie ahead.