According to David Brooks, liberalism promotes emotionless rationality, atomized individuals, and base self-“interest” detached from moral meaning. Of course that is nonsense, and Brooks does not name a single liberal who advocates such things.
Brooks is right about some things. He writes, “We have to have the open exchange of views that is the essence of liberalism.” And he advocates a “morality of personalism,” an “effort to see the full depth and complexity of each human person.” But of course that just is an aspect of liberalism properly conceived.
Tags: liberalism