On Being Economical with the Truth

Some Liberal Reflections

Bibliographic Data

ID6344980
AuthorsMargaret Canovan (Keele University, corresponding author)
Year1990
Volume38
Issue1
Pages5-19
Publication date1990-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0032-3217 • E-ISSN: 1467-9248
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-9248.1990.tb00566.x
OpenAlexW2051033526
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited1

Although a commitment to free discussion of all issues is one of the traditional pillars of liberalism, contemporary liberals may be justified in feeling uneasy when their principle of universal human rights is publicly challenged in the name of ethnic community. For in spite of liberalism's reputation for rationalism, its principles rely upon a substantial element of myth which does not stand up well to public scrutiny. Liberals would be wise to become more conscious of this ‘mythical’ component in their outlook. This would protect them against political naivety and its consequent disillusionment. It would also help them to respond more appropriately to right-wing critics, by relying less on rationalism and more on tactics borrowed from conservatism

Classical liberalism · Conservatism · Element (criminal law · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Law and economics · Liberalism · Political science · Politics · Public reason · Rationalism · Reputation · Scrutiny · Sociology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Law · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics

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