On the Challenge of Liberalism and Its Theoretical Foundations

This work seeks to trace a possible connection between the foundational principles of liberal political theory, established primarily by T. Hobbes, J. Locke, and B. Spinoza, and its developed or contemporary practices. These practices are examined in relation to fundamental concepts that were previously understood as integral to the generalized notion of the good human life, such as faith, family, love, manliness, etc., and that, as a result of its influence, underwent significant – sometimes radical – changes in the outline of the liberal logic. The piece formulates key liberal concepts like progress, consumption, and tolerance to elucidate the reasons for liberalism's success, the potential negative implications of this success, and the challenges stemming from the continued unfolding of the liberal logic for concepts like freedom of speech, meritocracy, universal peace, etc. embedded in liberal theory. The analysis, establishing a direct connection between the theoretical foundations of liberal theory and the success of its practices, highlights the impossibility of transforming the latter without reassessing the former. It posits the inadequacy of political opposition to liberalism without a preliminary theoretical resolution of the fundamental issues that liberal theory poses.