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Why Are So Many Western Intellectuals Abandoning Liberalism and What Can We Do About It?

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Craiutu, A. Why Are So Many Western Intellectuals Abandoning Liberalism and What Can We Do About It?. Journal of Contextual Economics – Schmollers Jahrbuch, 142(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3790/schm.142.1.1
Craiutu, Aurelian "Why Are So Many Western Intellectuals Abandoning Liberalism and What Can We Do About It?" Journal of Contextual Economics – Schmollers Jahrbuch 142.1, 2022, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3790/schm.142.1.1
Craiutu, Aurelian (2022): Why Are So Many Western Intellectuals Abandoning Liberalism and What Can We Do About It?, in: Journal of Contextual Economics – Schmollers Jahrbuch, vol. 142, iss. 1, 1-20, [online] https://doi.org/10.3790/schm.142.1.1

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Why Are So Many Western Intellectuals Abandoning Liberalism and What Can We Do About It?

Craiutu, Aurelian

Journal of Contextual Economics – Schmollers Jahrbuch, Vol. 142 (2022), Iss. 1 : pp. 1–20

1 Citations (CrossRef)

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Prof. Aurelian Craiutu, Department of Political Science, Indiana University 210 Woodburn Hall 47405 Bloomington IN, United States

Cited By

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Abstract

This article analyzes some of the reasons why so many Western intellectuals have seemed ready to abandon the principles of liberalism lately in search for alternative solutions. I begin by examining the fascination exercised by Viktor Orbán among conservatives in the US who emerged as staunch critics of liberalism. Next, I show that the doom industry has a long history and discuss the conceptual fluidity of liberalism and its implications for students of liberalism. I argue that by acknowledging the polysemantic nature of liberalism we can better answer its critics. I draw on the lessons of German Ordoliberals to show that liberalism contains surprising resources neglected by its critics. The article concludes with a call to moderate liberalism inspired by Karl Popper’s defense of the open society.