Conservative Liberalism (The Politics of Peace)

Partisan politics has become dangerously dysfunctional. In the United States and elsewhere, nationalism and progressive activism increasingly treat politics as a form of warfare—a struggle not merely to defeat opponents, but to use government power to impose a comprehensive vision of society. Many people recognize that this political climate is toxic and unsustainable. What remains elusive is a credible alternative. In Conservative Liberalism, David VanDrunen offers one: a recovery of liberalism in its classical sense. Liberalism, he argues, is the politics of peace. Its purpose is not to determine which faction gets to rule over everyone else, but to make peaceful coexistence possible among people who disagree deeply about religion, morality, identity, and the good life. By protecting the freedom of individuals and associations while limiting the reach of government, liberalism enables people to pursue their goals through voluntary cooperation rather than coercion. But liberalism cannot survive on liberty alone. A durable liberal order must be grounded in the realities of human nature, informed by practical wisdom, and sustained by families, religious communities, traditions, and other institutions that teach people to use freedom responsibly. Put another way, liberalism must also rest on conservative foundations. Rejecting the zero-sum politics of nationalism and progressivism alike, VanDrunen recovers a vibrant political tradition for an age of division. He presents conservative liberalism as a realistic and humane path forward—one capable of protecting liberty, preserving pluralism, and restoring peace to public life.