Where do you get your values and sensibilities from? If you grew up in a Western democracy, the answer is probably liberalism. Conservatives are right about one thing: liberalism is the ideology of our times, as omnipresent as religion once was. Yet, as Alexandre Lefebvre argues in Liberalism as a Way of Life, many of us are liberal without fully realizing it—or grasping what it means. Misled into thinking that liberalism is confined to politics, we fail to recognize that it’s the water we swim in, saturating every area of public and private life, shaping our psychological and spiritual outlooks, and influencing our moral and aesthetic values—our sense of what is right, wrong, good, bad, funny, worthwhile, and more. This eye-opening book shows how so many of us are liberal to the core, why liberalism provides the basis for a good life, and how we can make our lives better and happier by becoming more aware of, and more committed to, the beliefs we already hold.
A lively, engaging, and uplifting guide to living well, the liberal way, Liberalism as a Way of Life is filled with examples from television, movies, stand-up comedy, and social media—from Parks and Recreation and The Good Place to the Borat movies and Hannah Gadsby. Along the way, you’ll also learn about seventeen benefits of being a liberal—including generosity, humor, cheer, gratitude, tolerance, and peace of mind—and practical exercises to increase these rewards.
You’re probably already waist-deep in the waters of liberalism. Liberalism as a Way of Life invites you to dive in.
Awards and Recognition
- A New Yorker Best Book We've Read This Year
"Stirring and clarifying"—David Brooks, The New York Times
"Richly erudite and thoughtful. A lot of this book is fun, and none of it is frivolous."—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker
"Daring and engrossing…. At last, someone has developed a rigorous, unsentimental vocabulary with which to probe the relationship between the moral and political strains of the liberal tradition."—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post
"At a time when liberalism is under assault from multiple quarters in the U.S. and around the world, Lefebvre offers a rousing case that liberalism is not only the best political system, but also a spiritual touchstone that makes for a rewarding life, warm relationships and a thriving society"—Suzanne Nossel, New York Times
"A mind-bending effort to bring Rawlsian soulcraft back to life. [Lefebvre’s] highly entertaining book presents difficult ideas in an engaging and humorous way."—Daniel Bell, Times Literary Supplement
"Warm and inspiring… A humane and spirited defense of the liberal good life"—Matt McManus, Jacobin
"Lefebvre’s idea of liberalism is a bit like Flaubert’s depiction of the author as God in his universe – present everywhere, and visible nowhere…as much of the philosophy [of liberalism] may be under threat (the rise of the far-right, illiberal democracies everywhere), [Lefebvre] is, often humorously, optimistic"—Steven Carroll, The Sydney Morning Herald
"[Liberalism as a Way of Life] helps us understand what a future liberal revival might look like.”"—Zack Beauchamp, Vox
"In this spirited defense of liberalism, Lefebvre celebrates the ordinary, everyday virtues of life in a free and open society . . . a sensibility that should be celebrated, cultivated, and embraced as an ethical vision for daily life."—G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs
"Liberalism as a Way of Life [is] a fascinating and remarkably cheerful sermon addressed at those who claim to believe in the radical, liberal moral adventure of our times but still need to be properly converted to realize the profound spiritual implications of their adventure."—Ferenc Laczó, Contemporary Political Theory
"Lefebvre’s book manifests many virtues. The author writes amiably and gracefully. His erudite and accessible arguments distill the main points of complex theories and bring them into focus with arresting examples and vivid analogies. His humor disarms and his self-deprecation charms. … And he captures in multiple formulations and from numerous angles liberalism’s core commitment to that free and generous spirit that discerns the common humanity and unique individual in every person"—Peter Berkowitz, Real Clear Politics
"In his new book Liberalism as a Way of Life, the scholar Alexandre Lefebvre comes out swinging. Yes, he says, liberalism promotes values—and they are awesome values! It teaches freedom, fairness, and reciprocity, which are among the best values out there"—Jonathan Rauch, Persuasion
"The book is an ode to joy and duty—a claim that to be more just, more fair, and more open is a good in itself and something we should strive to do."—Sam Mace, Liberal Currents
"Lefebvre has written an inspiring, hopeful and original book about the value of liberalism in the time of cholera. It is an antidote for liberals who think that the spirit of the times is completely turned against them"—Dirk Verhofstadt, Liberales
"Lefebvre's writing combines erudite commentary with numerous pop references to books, films and TV series, which makes for fun reading and shows how much liberal ideology permeates our culture."—Hélio Schwartsman, Folha de S.Paulo
"A laudable effort to explain the virtues of a liberal way of life."—Manuel Arias Maldonado, Letras Libres
"An original and sound vision of what it can mean to be a liberal ‘through and through"—Jeroen Bouterse, 3 Quarks Daily
"Liberalism as a Way of Life aspires to paint such a compelling picture of the liberal faith that we, his fellow liberals, will want to live up to it—not out of shame, but because of its inherent appeal."—Galen Watts, The Point
"Vivid… Lyrical"—George Scialabba, Commonweal
"The charm of Lefebvre’s approach to Rawls lies in how he transforms the dense and conceptually innovative analysis of A Theory of Justice into a frolicking, page-turning work of self-help for liberals."—Stephen Holmes, The Ideas Letter
"Lefebvre calls Liberalism as a Way of Life a self-help book, a genre with a dubious reputation. But when it comes to responding to the lure of authoritarian leaders, the motto “A better democracy starts with yourself” is not so crazy."—Casper Thomas, Nederlands Dagblad
"[Alexandre Lefebvre] advocates a more comprehensive version of liberalism — one in which we are free but also generous… A great benefit of Liberalism as a Way of Life… is that [it] renders complex ideas accessible and engaging"—Peter Mares, Inside Story
"Who knows, maybe this is our future, prophesied by Nietzsche."—Fernando Schüler, Veja
"[Lefebvre] does something seemingly impossible: creates a self-help book grounded in the liberalism of John Rawls. . . . [Liberalism as a Way of Life] is an addition to one of the most powerful strands of liberal political thought. . . . An entertaining read...Highly recommended"—Choice
"Liberalism as a Way of Life presents the contemporary questions vexing those who try to live a good and liberal life in an imperfect world in an engaging and thought-provoking way."—Georgina Downer, Australian Policy and History
"To liberals, [Lefebvre] offers an unbeaten path; to critics, he offers a worthy opponent who takes the spiritual dimension of life seriously. Liberalism as a Way of Life deserves to be read widely"—Matthis Bitton, Critical Inquiry
"An original and at times exciting contribution to our understanding of liberalism."—Tod Lindberg, Commentary
"An indispensable antidote to our prevailing condition of fashionable pessimism… Alexandre Lefebvre’s wager is that liberalism ‘has the moral depth and spiritual range to redeem everyday life’. … If we are to have any chance of navigating a way through the dire straits in which we find ourselves, we’d better hope [he’s] right."—Scott Stevens, The Australian Book Review
"In a rare convergence between academic rigor and literary style, political philosopher Alexandre Lefebvre argues that progressive liberalism should be understood not only as a set of constitutional principles or individual rights, but as an ethical and cultural basis for a way of life that combines freedom, tolerance and diversity"—Lucas Petroni, Quatro cinco um
"Lefebvre succeeds insofar as, at nearly every turn, I felt the need to answer him."—Dan Dixon, The Sydney Review of Books
"Lefebvre writes deftly and with uncommon cheer for a treatise in political philosophy. At times, he comes across more like a missionary for a doctrine he thinks will save us than a measured political philosopher. It's meant as praise. He takes a position and defends it with gusto."—Carl Rudbeck, Svenska Dagbladet
“Liberalism as a Way of Life is one of the most original accounts of liberalism in a generation. With immense charm, insight, and lightly carried erudition, Lefebvre moves liberalism from a set of abstract claims to the art of living. It has the singular virtue of important books: it is serious fun.”—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Princeton University
“Alexandre Lefebvre’s brilliant book brings to light an important dimension of liberalism that is hidden, as it were, in plain sight. Liberalism is not only a procedural, political, or legal concept, but also a moral—and even spiritual—one that serves as a guide for social transformation. Given the dire situation that liberalism faces around the world today, this message is especially important, and the book deserves a wide readership.”—Helena Rosenblatt, author of The Lost History of Liberalism
“As liberalism increasingly comes under attack from both the left and the right, Alexandre Lefebvre mounts a deep and stirring defense, steeped in intellectual history and tied to contemporary culture. Lefebvre emphasizes the great joys and benefits that come from embracing reciprocity, freedom, and fairness, to live liberally; and he develops a set of spiritual exercises through which we can learn to succeed at liberalism as a way of life. This is philosophical self-help of the highest order—a literally extraordinary book.”—Daniel Markovits, author of The Meritocracy Trap
“The great virtue of Alexandre Lefebvre’s book is that it concedes one of the key points of antiliberals: Liberalism isn’t just a set of neutral procedures; it’s a comprehensive way of life that shapes the way we live and think and work and love in innumerable ways. Yet he insists that it’s a way of life worth robustly defending, which he does with a rare blend of cogency, grace, rigor, and wit. The more people who read this book, the better off we will be.”—Damon Linker, University of Pennsylvania
“Liberalism as a Way of Life is a fresh and deeply original exploration of exactly what its title promises. Provocative and beautifully written, it will change how we think about liberalism and maybe also how we think about ourselves.”—Stephen Macedo, author of Just Married
“In his amiable and conversational style, Alexandre Lefebvre offers the most persuasive defense of what liberalism stands for in the modern world. Through an ingenious rereading of John Rawls, Lefebvre makes it clear that liberalism isn’t neutral, as some of its advocates pretend, but is premised on a robust conception of the good life. This book is nothing short of thrilling.”—Samuel Moyn, author of Liberalism against Itself
“With wit and insight, this marvelous book tells you what it’s like to be a liberal, and how to be a good liberal. It’s written by a cheerful but highly reflective liberal, for liberals of all stripes—including the grumpy, the overconfident, and the wavering. But it can also be read with profit and enjoyment by nonliberals, antiliberals, and even by the harbingers of liberalism’s doom.”—Chandran Kukathas, author of The Liberal Archipelago
“With force and subtlety, this groundbreaking book shows how everyday life inspires politics and values, and how these values are shared through popular culture. Indeed, one of the strengths of the book and what makes it so entertaining and instructive is the way Alexandre Lefebvre demonstrates how popular TV shows—not just highbrow ones—disseminate progressive ideas that have become quintessential to liberalism as a way of life and to the desire to defend it.”—Sandra Laugier, Panthéon-Sorbonne University
“It’s hard to express just how much I loved this book. With great humanity and plenty of humor, Lefebvre shows how liberal values and practices can help each of us live with generosity, integrity, and joy. Beautifully written and genuinely original—this is liberalism as you’ve never seen it before. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”—Daniel Chandler, author of Free and Equal
