Liberalism and the Limits of Power

by Juliet A. Williams

This book provides the first critical assessment of important recent developments in Anglo-American liberal theorizing about limited government. Following a comparative study of canonical liberal philosophers Hayek and Rawls, the book reveals a new direction for conceptualizing limited government in the twenty-first century, highlighting the central role that democratic politics - rather than philosophical principles - should play in determining the uses and limits of state power in a liberal regime. Williams draws on recent scholarship in the field of democratic theory and cultural studies in arguing for a shift in the ways liberals approach the study of politics.

188 pages, Hardcover

First published November 27, 2005

Reviews

[Ian Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Needed to choose a few books from Springer for writing a review, so came across this by accident. Even though few years old, a great read! Particularly enjoyed the Lockeian - yes, Locke - idea of legislative supremacy, which informed early American colonists.

The Lockeian idea of legislative supremacy, regulated by natural law, was taken up by Jeremy Waldron. Williams critiques Waldron, presenting her own approach.

And a great comparison between Hayek and Rawls, which suggests gulf between them wasn't as big as most people would expect. Hayek even suggested so himself, but many commentators believed that Hayek had misunderstood Rawls by the time of a Theory of Justice because of his age.

But great to see a feminist critique of traditional liberalism such as eschewing privacy, which eg cements established principles of patriarchy. So, whilst accepting liberal legalism acts as a restraint on powers of state, much more emphasis on deliberative democracy, using eg reality TV as a model!