Liberal Pluralism

No contemporary actor has William Galston's status as both a political philosopher and political actor. This book was first published in 2002.

William Galston is a distinguished political philosopher who also served from 1993–5 in the Clinton Administration. In this 2002 book he argues that value pluralism undergirds a kind of liberal politics that enables individuals and groups to live in accordance with their deepest beliefs about what gives meaning and purpose to life.William Galston is a distinguished political philosopher whose work is informed by the experience of having also served from 1993–5 as President Clinton's Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy. He is thus able to speak with an authority unique amongst political theorists about the implications of advancing certain moral and political values in practice. The foundational argument of this 2002 book is that liberalism is compatible with the value pluralism first espoused by Isaiah Berlin. William Galston defends a version of value pluralism - liberal pluralism - and argues, against the contentions of John Gray and others, that it undergirds a kind of liberal politics that gives weight to the ability of individuals and groups to live their lives in accordance with their deepest beliefs about what gives meaning and purpose to life.