Metaphors matter. When too many of our core conceptual analogies about people and politics try to bring a knife to a gun fight, are we left trying to eat soup with a fork?
Liberalism nobly attempts to transcend the messiness of politics through a reliance on law and a vision of universal principles. But in its pursuit of a rational and conflict-free societal order, does liberalism undermine the political agency and ethical discourse necessary for a vibrant democracy?
Is it possible that our prized tool for dissecting truth—critical thinking—might actually be sharpening divides rather than bridging them? Peter Gilderdale confronts a paradox at the heart of a cherished intellectual tradition: are we merely critiquing, or are we truly considering?
Few things divide us more than politics, yet one thing almost all of us can agree on is that our politics is broken. Liberal democracy itself is in crisis - why? Can there be hope of a more beautiful politics before it all falls apart?
