In a few years I want to organize a panel for the AAA called “The Liberalism of Anthropology and the Anthropologies of Liberalism” that opens the door to discussing the role of liberalism in the general anthropological project (notably in trying to breed tolerance) and how anthropological work, especially of the last twenty years (although really since its inception) has also worked to critically disturb the liberal project (in many ways, but including debunking the myth of the liberal subject and voicing the limits of liberal tolerance). I want to say more about the ways in which anthropologists have walked this line, but I have to read for tomorrow’s class and more than anything else I wanted to permanently jot this down so as to not forget my title.
December 4, 2007
The Liberalism of Anthropology and the Anthropologies of Liberalism
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From an anthropological perspective, what is liberalism? I’ve read JS Mill, but I’m not sure that his thought has anything to do with any modern intellectual, social, or political movement. Whom should I read to understand what modern liberalism is?
Comment by M. Grégoire — December 4, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
I actually have a syllabus for a course on liberalism from a cultural perspective:
http://healthhacker.org/biella/coleman-cultures-liberalism.pdf
But a good book to get a sense of what liberalism even is is Paul Starr’s recently published book http://www.amazon.com/Freedoms-Power-True-Force-Liberalism/dp/046508186X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196868466&sr=1-2
That is a defense of liberalism but I think covers a lot of ground as to what it is.
Comment by Biella — December 5, 2007 @ 6:58 am