Against Post-Liberalism
Why 'Family, Faith and Flag' is a Dead End for the Left
1st Edition
Published on 24. October 2025
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-5095-5244-3 (ISBN)
Description
Liberal politics is in crisis and it is a crisis of its own making - so say the post-liberals whose new ideology of family, faith and flag is shaping debates about the future of the Left. But are they right? Does post-liberalism offer credible answers to the problems that characterise our increasingly fragmented and unequal world?
In this bold analysis, political theorist Paul Kelly responds with a resounding no. He makes a powerful case against post-liberalism and exposes the flaws and contradictions of the dominant strands of post-liberal thinking. Drawing on the ideas of key post-liberal thinkers such as John Gray, Alasdair MacIntyre, Maurice Glasman, Matthew Goodwin, Danny Kruger, J.D. Vance, Patrick Deneen and Adrian Vermuele, he sheds light on some of the darker sources behind the movement, arguing that post-liberalism fails to take seriously the real challenges of late modernity. It is not feasible in its ambitions to return to a form of capitalism superseded by technological globalisation, and in its Trump/Vance US version it is an unattractive assault on equality, social mobility, university education and changes in social roles and expectations.
Against Post-Liberalism is both a critique of post-liberal ideas and a passionate defence of liberalism. It is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary challenges to liberalism and humane values.
In this bold analysis, political theorist Paul Kelly responds with a resounding no. He makes a powerful case against post-liberalism and exposes the flaws and contradictions of the dominant strands of post-liberal thinking. Drawing on the ideas of key post-liberal thinkers such as John Gray, Alasdair MacIntyre, Maurice Glasman, Matthew Goodwin, Danny Kruger, J.D. Vance, Patrick Deneen and Adrian Vermuele, he sheds light on some of the darker sources behind the movement, arguing that post-liberalism fails to take seriously the real challenges of late modernity. It is not feasible in its ambitions to return to a form of capitalism superseded by technological globalisation, and in its Trump/Vance US version it is an unattractive assault on equality, social mobility, university education and changes in social roles and expectations.
Against Post-Liberalism is both a critique of post-liberal ideas and a passionate defence of liberalism. It is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary challenges to liberalism and humane values.
Reviews / Votes
"Far from representing a viable future for the left, Kelly expertly exposes the various ways in which the post-liberal turn to 'family, faith and flag' either collapses into authoritarianism or cannot address the most pressing problems facing western liberal democratic societies today. Against Postliberalism is vital reading for anyone interested in where the left goes from here."Matt Sleat, University of Sheffield
"Paul Kelly challenges a current of thought that's gaining adherents and attention along with contemporary electoral success on the right. Calmly and fairly, Kelly anatomizes the new 'post-liberalism' and explains how it fails - and why an egalitarian and pluralist liberalism not only survives the assault but could even thrive in our anxious moment of transatlantic politics."
Samuel Moyn, author of Liberalism Against Itself
"A most timely book that needed to be written and demands to be read. In this thoughtful, nuanced critical engagemenet with emerging debates around post-liberalism, Paul Kelly has provided us with an accessible yet thorough study of soe of the ideas of upending modern politics. One of the most important political books of the year."
Jon Cruddas, former Labour MP for Dagenham, author of The Dignity of Labour and A Century of Labour
"Against Post-Liberalism sets itself the task of mapping distinct strands of postliberalism across the Atlantic and developing a robust response to their arguments."
Jacobin
"could hardly be more timely... Kelly cuts through the fog of battle with a mostly accurate, mostly un-tendentious survey of the political movement he opposes."
First Things
"sobering"
The Irish Times
"[Kelly] wants to demonstrate that the postliberal program is a dead end, primarily for the left, but really for anyone who cares about egalitarian politics."
First Things
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 218 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
386 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5095-5244-3 (9781509552443)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2026
1st Edition
Wiley
€16.99
Available for download
Book
10/2025
1st Edition
Polity Press
€20.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Paul Kelly is Professor of Political Theory and former Pro-Director at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Content
Contents
Preface and Acknowledgements
1. The Post-Liberal Moment?
2. National Populism and the Unmasking of Liberalism
3. Common Good Communitarianism
4. Authoritarianism, Political Theology and the Common Good
5. Liberalism against Post-Liberalism
6. Why 'Faith, Family and Flag' is a Dead End
Notes
Preface and Acknowledgements
1. The Post-Liberal Moment?
2. National Populism and the Unmasking of Liberalism
3. Common Good Communitarianism
4. Authoritarianism, Political Theology and the Common Good
5. Liberalism against Post-Liberalism
6. Why 'Faith, Family and Flag' is a Dead End
Notes