Two Faces of Liberalism

<DIV><p>Following on the heels of the widely hailed <em>False Dawn</em> this new work by John Gray &;ldquo;one of Britain's leading intellectuals (<em>The Wall Street Journal</em>) offers a thoughtful and provocative analysis of the failure of classical liberalism to keep up with the complex political realities of today's increasingly divided world.</p><p><em>Two Faces of Liberalism</em> argues that from its inception liberalism contained two contradictory philosophies of tolerance. In one it advanced the enlightenment project of a universal civilization. In the other it framed terms for peaceful coexistence between warring communities and different ways of life. Each of these liberal ideals of toleration developed when a single worldview dominated society has many historic achievements to its credit. But how relevant is traditional liberalism in a world where Kosovo represents the collapse of the spirit of cohabitation?</p><p>In a spirited attack on today's liberal orthodoxies Gray argues that establishing a <em>modus vivendi</em> between different cultures and regimes should be at the heart of contemporary liberalism. In this major contribution to political theory Gray proposes a new framework for liberal thought that addresses these burning issues.</p><BR></DIV>