Fearing Freedom: The Intellectual and Spiritual Challenge to Liberalism
17 Pages Posted: 23 May 2013
Date Written: May 21, 2013
Abstract
In “The Soul of Classical Liberalism” (2000), James Buchanan argues that modern advocates of the liberal order must move beyond the mid-20th century project of “saving the books” and “saving the ideas” and instead embrace the challenge of “saving the soul” of liberalism. The prospects for establishing a genuine liberal order turn on capturing the intellectual imagination of a significant segment of the population. This paper examines the themes Buchanan raises in three essays that focus our attention on these critical issues; they are “The Potential and Limits of Socially Organized Humankind” (1988); “The Soul of Classical Liberalism” (2000); and “Afraid to Be Free” (2005).
Keywords: James Buchanan, classical liberalism
JEL Classification: B31, P16
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation