Postliberalism

Postliberalism refers to an emergent body of political thought which critiques liberal views on market economics, globalization, and individualism. Postliberalism instead posits a more communitarian worldview that emphasizes social solidarity, communal relations, and the common good.

Postliberalism has adherents on both the political left and right. In the United Kingdom, postliberalism emerged from theological critiques of liberalism and found expression in the "Blue Labour" movement within the Labour Party. In the United States, postliberalism has been influential among conservatives critical of the fusionist synthesis of free markets and traditional values.

The postliberal critique contends that liberalism, in both its economic and cultural forms, undermines the social and communal bonds on which human flourishing depends. Drawing on a reading of social contract theorists like Hobbes and Locke, postliberals argue liberalism promotes an atomized individualism at odds with human sociability. Domestically, liberalism is seen as fostering stratification between cosmopolitan elites and rooted working classes. In international relations, it fuels a universalist liberal order insensitive to cultural differences. Some postliberal feminists argue the liberal sexual ethic, focused on individual autonomy, has produced a culture harmful to women.

As an alternative, postliberals seek a politics oriented to the "common good." However, specifying the content of the common good in pluralistic societies presents challenges. More statist versions of postliberalism risk illiberalism in their visions of using state power to enforce a substantive conception of the good, while other postliberals point to a more pluralistic understanding.

Prominent thinkers associated with postliberalism include John Milbank, Adrian Pabst, Patrick Deneen, Sohrab Ahmari, Nissim Mizachi, and Adrian Vermeule.