Manchester University Press
3 Inside the liberal machine
Abstract
This chapter shows that liberalism undertakes the project of liberating humanity from nature through reason in hostile antagonism toward nature in the two senses used. The twofold result is that reason is reduced to its instrumental dimension both in the economy and in the polity, and law becomes a tool of oppression. A viable alternative to liberalism has to begin by venturing to the centre and periphery of the liberal machine, though without immediate political aspirations to take it over and operate it for ostensibly non-liberal aims. Liberalism undermines the utopian moment in idealism by 'naturalising' the separation between ethics and politics, private and public, state and civil society, theory and praxis, as well as legality and legitimacy. As a hegemonic movement capable of changing tactics and engineering passive revolutions, liberalism has been more politically astute on this fundamental point than any of its rivals.
Abstract
This chapter shows that liberalism undertakes the project of liberating humanity from nature through reason in hostile antagonism toward nature in the two senses used. The twofold result is that reason is reduced to its instrumental dimension both in the economy and in the polity, and law becomes a tool of oppression. A viable alternative to liberalism has to begin by venturing to the centre and periphery of the liberal machine, though without immediate political aspirations to take it over and operate it for ostensibly non-liberal aims. Liberalism undermines the utopian moment in idealism by 'naturalising' the separation between ethics and politics, private and public, state and civil society, theory and praxis, as well as legality and legitimacy. As a hegemonic movement capable of changing tactics and engineering passive revolutions, liberalism has been more politically astute on this fundamental point than any of its rivals.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Liberalism and discourses of legality 13
- 2 Democracy and discourses of legitimacy 44
- 3 Inside the liberal machine 84
- 4 Idealism, legality and reconciliation with external nature 115
- 5 Materialism, legitimacy and reconciliation with human nature 153
- Conclusion 182
- Bibliography 186
- Index 195
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Liberalism and discourses of legality 13
- 2 Democracy and discourses of legitimacy 44
- 3 Inside the liberal machine 84
- 4 Idealism, legality and reconciliation with external nature 115
- 5 Materialism, legitimacy and reconciliation with human nature 153
- Conclusion 182
- Bibliography 186
- Index 195
