Liberalism as a Way of Life - by Alexandre Lefebvre (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A radical new interpretation of liberalism, viewing it not merely as a political philosophy or set of political precepts, but as a personal orientation and way of living"--

Book Synopsis

Why liberalism is all you need to lead a good, fun, worthy, and rewarding life--and how you can become a better and happier person by taking your liberal beliefs more seriously

Where do you get your values and sensibilities from? If you grew up in a Western democracy, the answer is probably liberalism. Conservatives are right about one thing: liberalism is the ideology of our times, as omnipresent as religion once was. Yet, as Alexandre Lefebvre argues in Liberalism as a Way of Life, many of us are liberal without fully realizing it--or grasping what it means. Misled into thinking that liberalism is confined to politics, we fail to recognize that it's the water we swim in, saturating every area of public and private life, shaping our psychological and spiritual outlooks, and influencing our moral and aesthetic values--our sense of what is right, wrong, good, bad, funny, worthwhile, and more. This eye-opening book shows how so many of us are liberal to the core, why liberalism provides the basis for a good life, and how we can make our lives better and happier by becoming more aware of, and more committed to, the beliefs we already hold.

A lively, engaging, and uplifting guide to living well, the liberal way, Liberalism as a Way of Life is filled with examples from television, movies, stand-up comedy, and social media--from Parks and Recreation and The Good Place to the Borat movies and Hannah Gadsby. Along the way, you'll also learn about seventeen benefits of being a liberal--including generosity, humor, cheer, gratitude, tolerance, and peace of mind--and practical exercises to increase these rewards.

You're probably already waist-deep in the waters of liberalism. Liberalism as a Way of Life invites you to dive in.

Review Quotes

"Liberalism as a Way of Life is such a breath of fresh air"---Scott A. Reznick, The Hedgehog Review

"[Alexandre Lefebvre] advocates a more comprehensive version of liberalism -- one in which we are free but also generous... A great benefit of Liberalism as a Way of Life... is that [it] renders complex ideas accessible and engaging."---Peter Mares, Inside Story

"[Lefebvre] does something seemingly impossible: creates a self-help book grounded in the liberalism of John Rawls. . . . [Liberalism as a Way of Life] is an addition to one of the most powerful strands of liberal political thought. . . . An entertaining read...Highly recommended."-- "Choice"

"A mind-bending effort to bring Rawlsian soulcraft back to life. [Lefebvre's] highly entertaining book presents difficult ideas in an engaging and humorous way."---Daniel A. Bell, Times Literary Supplement

"An indispensable antidote to our prevailing condition of fashionable pessimism... Alexandre Lefebvre's wager is that liberalism 'has the moral depth and spiritual range to redeem everyday life'... If we are to have any chance of navigating a way through the dire straits in which we find ourselves, we'd better hope [he's] right."---Scott Stephens, The Australian Book Review

"An original and sound vision of what it can mean to be a liberal 'through and through."---Jeroen Bouterse, 3 Quarks Daily

"At a time when liberalism is under assault from multiple quarters in the U.S. and around the world, Lefebvre offers a rousing case that liberalism is not only the best political system, but also a spiritual touchstone that makes for a rewarding life, warm relationships and a thriving society."---Suzanne Nossel, New York Times

"Impressive and important... Lefebvre's Liberalism as a Way of Life is the boldest statement of [the] belief (or, put more aptly, faith) that liberalism has its own internal resources for salvation from crisis"---Emma Planinc, Modern Intellectual History

"In his new book Liberalism as a Way of Life, the scholar Alexandre Lefebvre comes out swinging. Yes, he says, liberalism promotes values--and they are awesome values! It teaches freedom, fairness, and reciprocity, which are among the best values out there."---Jonathan Rauch, Persuasion

"Lefebvre has written an inspiring, hopeful and original book about the value of liberalism. It is an antidote for liberals who think that the spirit of the times is completely turned against them."---Dirk Verhofstadt, Liberales

"Lefebvre's book manifests many virtues. The author writes amiably and gracefully. His erudite and accessible arguments distill the main points of complex theories and bring them into focus with arresting examples and vivid analogies. His humor disarms and his self-deprecation charms. ... And he captures in multiple formulations and from numerous angles liberalism's core commitment to that free and generous spirit that discerns the common humanity and unique individual in every person."---Peter Berkowitz, Real Clear Politics

"Lefebvre's idea of liberalism is a bit like Flaubert's depiction of the author as God in his universe - present everywhere, and visible nowhere...as much of the philosophy [of liberalism] may be under threat (the rise of the far-right, illiberal democracies everywhere), [Lefebvre] is, often humorously, optimistic."---Steven Carroll, The Sydney Morning Herald

"Stirring and clarifying."---David Brooks, The New York Times

"To liberals, [Lefebvre] offers an unbeaten path; to critics, he offers a worthy opponent who takes the spiritual dimension of life seriously. Liberalism as a Way of Life deserves to be read widely."---Mathis Bitton, Critical Inquiry

"Vivid... Lyrical."---George Scialabba, Commonweal

"Warm and inspiring... A humane and spirited defense of the (left)-liberal good life."---Matt McManus, Jacobin

"A shining example of what a book about Important and Heavy topics can be."---Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, Ministry for Popular Culture

"A deeply human book that exemplifies a fun yet respectable way of writing about political theory."---Christian Alejandro Gonzalez, The Dispatch

"Lefebvre writes deftly and with uncommon cheer for a treatise in political philosophy. At times, he comes across more like a missionary for a doctrine he thinks will save us than a measured political philosopher. It's meant as praise. He takes a position and defends it with gusto."---Carl Rudbeck, Svenska Dagbladet

"Lefebvre succeeds insofar as, at nearly every turn, I felt the need to answer him."---Dan Dixon, The Sydney Review of Books

"In a rare convergence between academic rigor and literary style, political philosopher Alexandre Lefebvre argues that progressive liberalism should be understood not only as a set of constitutional principles or individual rights, but as an ethical and cultural basis for a way of life that combines freedom, tolerance and diversity"---Lucas Petroni, Quatro cinco um

"An original and at times exciting contribution to our understanding of liberalism."---Tod Lindberg, Commentary

"Liberalism as a Way of Life presents the contemporary questions vexing those who try to live a good and liberal life in an imperfect world in an engaging and thought-provoking way."---Georgina Downer, Australian Policy and History

"The book is an ode to joy and duty--a claim that to be more just, more fair, and more open is a good in itself and something we should strive to do."---Sam Mace, Liberal Currents

"The charm of Lefebvre's approach to Rawls lies in how he transforms the dense and conceptually innovative analysis of A Theory of Justice into a frolicking, page-turning work of self-help for liberals."---Stephen Holmes, The Ideas Letter

"

Liberalism as a Way of Life aspires to paint such a compelling picture of the liberal faith that we, his fellow liberals, will want to live up to it--not out of shame, but because of its inherent appeal.

"---Galen Watts, The Point

"Liberalism as a Way of Life [is] a fascinating and remarkably cheerful sermon addressed at those who claim to believe in the radical, liberal moral adventure of our times but still need to be properly converted to realize the profound spiritual implications of their adventure."---Ferenc Laczó, Contemporary Political Theory

"A laudable effort to explain the virtues of a liberal way of life."---Manuel Arias Maldonado, Letras Libres

"Lefebvre calls Liberalism as a Way of Life a self-help book, a genre with a dubious reputation. But when it comes to responding to the lure of authoritarian leaders, the motto "A better democracy starts with yourself" is not so crazy."---Casper Thomas, Nederlands Dagblad

"[Liberalism as a Way of Life] helps us understand what a future liberal revival might look like.""---Zack Beauchamp, Vox

"Daring and engrossing.... At last, someone has developed a rigorous, unsentimental vocabulary with which to probe the relationship between the moral and political strains of the liberal tradition."---Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post

"Lefebvre's writing combines erudite commentary with numerous pop references to books, films and TV series, which makes for fun reading and shows how much liberal ideology permeates our culture."---Hélio Schwartsman, Folha de S.Paulo

"A New Yorker Best Book We've Read This Year"

"Richly erudite and thoughtful. A lot of this book is fun, and none of it is frivolous."---Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

"In this spirited defense of liberalism, Lefebvre celebrates the ordinary, everyday virtues of life in a free and open society . . . a sensibility that should be celebrated, cultivated, and embraced as an ethical vision for daily life."---G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs

About the Author

Alexandre Lefebvre is professor of politics and philosophy at the University of Sydney. His books include Human Rights as a Way of Life.