Liberalism as a Way of Life

In this spirited defense of liberalism, Lefebvre celebrates the ordinary, everyday virtues of life in a free and open society. Most people define liberalism by its core institutions, such as individual rights, the rule of law, separation of powers, free elections, and open markets. Lefebvre argues that a more important (and often ignored) feature of liberalism is its worldview and value system: the diffuse societal underpinnings that enshrine diversity, tolerance, and multiculturalism. Notions of fairness, equality, respect, and openness to new ways of thinking are anchored in liberalism’s political culture. The book elaborates its argument with engaging anecdotes and vignettes that show the range of ways liberal principles manifest in daily life, including comedians who mock identity politics, novels that dissect the power dynamics of gender and class, and codes of conduct for respectful workplace relations. The book evocatively captures the philosopher John Rawls’s idea of society as a “fair system of cooperation,” a sensibility that should be celebrated, cultivated, and embraced as an ethical vision for daily life.