The Liberal Manifesto
What is Liberalism? Why is it imperative for a free and prosperous society? How can we reclaim it?
Preamble: A Reckoning with Human History and Nature
Throughout the vast expanse of human history, the overwhelming majority of people lived in abject poverty and effective subjugation, bereft of basic human, political, and social rights. From the earliest chiefdoms to the dawn of the modern era, social orders were shaped by coercion and brute force, with might dictating right and the privileges of the few secured by the suffering of the many.
Knowledge was governed and constrained, handed down as received dogma; dissent was suppressed by violence; and individuals had their identity subsumed into collectives – race, tribe, clan, plantation, or parish – crushing their individuality beneath the “common good” as determined by the rulers.
Claims to personal autonomy were dismissed as pride or dangerous self-will. Societies perpetuated innate classes of rulers and ruled, with the latter condemned to lives of obedience and inequity. The vast majority was systematically barred from full participation in social, political, and economic institutions. Patrimonialist regimes, locked in a zero-sum pursuit of power, waged relentless warfare, inflicting incalculable harm on ordinary people’s bodies, minds, and property.
The Liberal Breakthrough: Autonomy Unleashed
Against this dismal backdrop, liberalism emerged as a radical leap in moral and political understanding – a break with millennia of oppression and stagnation. For the first time in history, a system of thought and practice dared to center the individual, his dignity, and his rights as the foundation for a just society. At its core, it placed the recognition that every person has inherent worth, possesses inalienable rights, and deserves to make his own choices in life.
Liberalism’s historical uniqueness is found in its commitment to pluralism: the principle that different perspectives and ways of life must not only be tolerated but actively protected. Liberalism provided a framework that allowed people to think freely, disagree productively, resolve conflicts without violence, and effect reform without tearing society apart. Protecting that autonomy became the moral core of a liberal society.
Intellectual freedom fostered an unprecedented climate of innovation, collaboration, and healthy competition. These conditions, in turn, ushered in the rise of capitalism, the most materially productive economic arrangement in history, bringing prosperity to the masses. Liberalism provided the framework for a mutually reinforcing fusion of politics and economics that unleashed creative energies and talents and propelled society to new heights of wealth, science, and culture.
With its ability to adapt and self-correct, liberalism grew from ideas and inspirations into a robust system of governance that achieved success at all scales, in many locales, over protracted time periods. Empirical studies of political and economic systems consistently reveal an overwhelming correlation between the adoption of classical liberal principles – individual liberty, free markets, and the rule of law – and societal prosperity. The success of liberal democracies, as measured in human well-being, far outstrips the fate of societies ruled by illiberal, authoritarian, or collectivist regimes1.
The Present Threat: The Erosion of Liberal Foundations
The legacy of liberalism is not self-sustaining. In recent decades, the roots of Western prosperity have been neglected, and liberalism faces threats from all sides. Illiberal actors, often cloaked in the trappings of liberal rhetoric, exploit the machinery of open societies to achieve illiberal ends. Others argue, paradoxically, that only illiberal measures can protect liberalism. Some justify censorship and denials of freedom with spurious claims of harm or even violence – a position that sacrifices the principle of open debate central to liberalism and liberty itself.
Many believe that if the current arrangement does not make them happy and fulfilled, they need to find another; they fail to understand that liberalism promises the pursuit of happiness, not its achievement: for that, it is not sufficient, but absolutely necessary.
Liberalism, once a radical and dynamic practice, has become a passive expectation, taken for granted as a default state, and forgotten until its absence is felt in crisis. Too many treat the rights and protections of the liberal order as entitlements, not as achievements they are responsible for upholding. People invoke liberal principles when their own rights are threatened, but often lack the conscious, articulate understanding needed to defend them as a shared civic duty.
Meanwhile, the meaning of “liberal” is no longer consistently understood. In the United States, the term has shifted so far from its classical roots that it is now most often associated with the illiberal left. Globally, parties bearing the label “liberal” frequently advocate policies such as nationalism, statism, or authoritarian populism of the right or left that are antithetical to liberalism’s original ideals.
This semantic drift makes transmitting and preserving the liberal tradition all the more difficult.
Thesis: Liberalism Must Be Preserved
Nevertheless, liberal values remain culturally salient. The current crisis is not a failure of liberalism; it is a failure of its institutions. Liberalism persists as the default ethos of democratic societies, but it will not endure unless consciously reclaimed, practiced, and defended.
To preserve what is good and reform what is not, we must reaffirm liberalism – both as foundation and as method.
Liberalism must be clearly defined and actively preserved.
Defining Liberalism
We assert that liberalism is the philosophical foundation of liberal democracies and the defining characteristic of Western civilization. It rests on the principle that individual freedom is paramount, and that the government’s primary role is the protection of that freedom. We will not agree on everything, but we cannot “agree to disagree” about liberalism’s core components:
Natural, Individual Rights and Liberties
All individuals possess the same inherent rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Human reason grounds our moral claim to autonomy in personal and economic matters: everyone must be free to make their own choices and may be constrained in their activities only through due process. The individual, not the collective, is the primary moral unit.
Liberalism establishes mutual constraints to protect individual rights, such as freedom of speech, media, religion, property, and assembly. Revocation of these rights is justified only by demonstrable harm, not by mere offense or disagreement.
The Rule of Law
Everyone must be equal before the law and entitled to due process. The body of law exists to actively protect rights, limit harm, and prevent denial of liberty or equal opportunity. Respect for the rights of others is the precondition of individual freedom.
Limited, Representative Government
Government exists to serve the people and draws legitimacy from their consent, expressed through representation. The state is bound by law and tasked with protecting individual rights, maintaining order, and enforcing the rule of law – never with dictating personal or economic choices. The government should promote equality of opportunity, not guarantee equal outcomes, and must be structured with checks and balances to thwart any faction’s dominance.
Free, Open Markets
Economic liberty is the engine of prosperity. Individuals should face minimal constraints on voluntary economic activity, domestically and internationally. Free trade fosters cooperation and global peace. The government’s economic intervention should be limited to protecting property rights and safeguarding voluntary exchange, with the caveat of national security.
Pluralism, Universalism, and Reform
Liberalism recognizes our shared humanity and universal rights, fostering tolerance and viewpoint diversity. Social progress is best achieved by voluntary coordination, not central planning and control. Reform – not revolution or reaction – is liberalism’s preferred method for addressing society’s remaining injustices.
Culture and Common Interest
Liberalism is the finest system for conflict resolution ever devised, serving the overwhelming majority’s interests by securing peace, prosperity, and dignity. Its principles must be enshrined in law, embedded in institutions, and promoted through reasoned persuasion, not coercion or censorship.
Ultimately, liberalism demands that people be free to believe, speak, and live according to their own conscience, provided they do not harm others or prevent them from realizing their potential. Any restriction must be justified by demonstrable harm, not by speculative or abstract threats.
A Call to Action: Preserving Liberalism
Representative democracies cannot be preserved without the vigilant safeguarding of liberalism. Only by consistently opposing all forms of authoritarianism and illiberalism – and by supporting one another across differences – can we succeed in sustaining a free society.
Therefore, to preserve liberalism, we urge:
· Principled progressives – those who champion equality, inclusion, and pluralism – to reclaim the liberal tradition as the most effective vehicle for these goals, and to inspire new generations to see liberalism as the engine of genuine social change.
· Principled conservatives – those who value tradition, culture, and history – to recognize that defending the philosophical heritage of liberalism is consistent with broader conservative aims, and to reject the illiberal temptations of their own side.
· All parties to acknowledge that liberalism requires active, ongoing engagement: identifying, reforming, or eradicating illiberal practices, whether old or new, wherever they emerge – on the right or on the left.
Additionally, we proclaim:
· Liberalism permits revolution only when reform through open democratic debate and due process is truly impossible. Attempts to bypass established institutions are themselves illiberal.
· Open debate is essential to liberalism: no one is immune from criticism, and those making truth claims must answer their critics in good faith. Speech is only justifiably restricted when it incites demonstrable harm, not when it merely offends or challenges.
· Any ideology or policy that shifts from “People must not be prevented from…” to “People must be compelled to…” is, by definition, not liberal – no matter what justifications are offered.
Conclusion: The Task of Our Time
The preservation of liberalism is the task and challenge of our era. Its historical uniqueness lies in its liberation of the individual spirit and its unparalleled contribution to human flourishing. Its ongoing importance is manifest in the prosperity, peace, and dignity we now too easily take for granted.
Liberalism is not a static inheritance but a living practice. It is both foundation and method, achievement and aspiration. If we are to secure the blessings of freedom for ourselves and posterity, we must not leave liberalism’s fate to chance, inertia, or confusion. We must reclaim it, practice it, defend it – and pass it on, undiminished.
Let this be our manifesto: that the light of liberty, once kindled, shall not be allowed to go out.
Bibliography
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Relaunching The Overflowings of a Liberal
A Place for Liberalism to Come to be Resuscitated
Sep 20, 2024
Liberalism Lives, But We’ve Forgotten How to Live It
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The Thoughtcrime Lottery: A Liberal Proposal
A call for liberals to organise around freedom of expression itself.
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Why the Most Important Political Philosophy of the Last 300 Years Is the One Nobody Understands
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"Why Liberalism" series from Persuasion
Bringing Human Nature Back In
Francis Fukuyama in the latest of our series “Why Liberalism.”
Francis Fukuyama
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The Woke Right Stands At the Door
Whence comes this uncanniest of all guests?
Jonathan Rauch
Aug 06, 2025
Gradual Change is F***ing Awesome—And Liberalism Knows It
On Darwin, abuse, and Costanza politics.
Wayne Karol
Jul 30, 2025
A People’s History of Free Speech
Oct 9, 2024 •
The Enduring Wisdom of America's Founding Documents
A liberal reading of the Declaration of Independence.
William Galston
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Equality Is Good, Actually
Contrary to popular critiques, the liberal value of equality doesn’t make you weak or nihilistic.
Aug 13, 2024 •
Why You Should Feel Good About Liberalism
We need to get better at standing up for the greatest social technology ever devised.
Jonathan Rauch
Aug 06, 2024
Illiberal Liberalism
Progressives who advocate for illiberal policies aren't Marxists or postmodernists. They turn liberalism's tools against itself.
Joseph Heath
Jul 30, 2024
How Liberal Societies Learn
The first essay in our new series "Why Liberalism."
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- Psalm 82
- Proverbs 31
- Isaiah 1
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X Post ID: 2. August 2024. https://x.com.
Note: Cited for user descriptions of the Communist Manifesto as a “call to arms,” supporting The Liberal Manifesto’s action-oriented title.
The HFI 2023 (Human Freedom Index, published by the Cato Institute, the Fraser Institute, and the Liberales Institut at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom) and GDP data (IMF/World Bank 2024) show a clear positive correlation between classical liberalism and prosperity. Liberal countries’ high GDP reflects free markets and individual liberty, while Illiberal countries’ low GDP aligns with restricted freedoms and state control, supporting studies like Liberal Currents (2021, R = 0.90).
The survey of all 165 countries included in the Human Freedom Index confirms that Liberal countries (e.g., Switzerland, U.S.) have the highest average GDP per capita (~$70,500), followed by Near-Liberal (~$45,200), Somewhat Liberal (~$25,800), Somewhat Illiberal (~$10,500), and Illiberal (~$5,200), supporting classical liberalism’s link to prosperity.
Good job Jonathan. It seems like the process embodied by the Enlightenment, and a plea to return to those values. What a bibliography! I am reading The Road to Confederation and how Canada took elements from Britain and the US into the BNA act, the first Cdn constitution. There some ideas abt America that i will try to share with you.
Nice job with this very important topic. I applaud your scholarship and admire the effort you’ve undertaken.
If I can find the time I shall offer a few related thoughts / anecdotes, but that’s for another day.
Bravo!