The Once and Future Liberal - by Mark Lilla (Paperback)

The Once and Future Liberal is a thought-provoking book that challenges the current state of identity politics and offers a fresh perspective on how liberals can regain their political power.

Written by Mark Lilla, a renowned political thinker, this book provides a passionate plea to liberals to turn from divisive identity politics and develop a vision of the future that can unite all citizens. Lilla argues that the left has unwittingly balkanized the electorate, encouraging self-absorption rather than solidarity, and invested its energies in social movements rather than party politics.

He contends that identity-focused individualism has insidiously conspired with amoral economic individualism to shape an electorate with little sense of a shared future and near-contempt for the idea of the common good. However, Lilla offers a solution to these problems by calling on liberals to re-build a sense of common feeling and purpose, and to develop a vision of the future that can persuade all citizens that they share a common destiny.

He emphasizes that this requires a shift away from identity politics and towards a more inclusive and unifying political agenda. Throughout the book, Lilla draws on a range of historical and contemporary examples to support his arguments, including the failures of the 2016 US election and the rise of Donald Trump.

He also engages with a range of public intellectuals and scholars, including Fareed Zakaria, Arlie Hochschild, Steven Pinker, William Julius Wilson, David Frum, Edward Luce, John Banville, Laurent Joffrin, Gadi Taub, and many others. Ultimately, The Once and Future Liberal is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the current state of identity politics and the future of liberalism.

With its concise and accessible writing style, this book is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers, from political scientists and historians to general readers interested in contemporary politics.

So why wait? Order your copy today and discover the powerful insights that Lilla has to offer!