Liberalism of Restraint and Liberalism of Imposition: Liberal Values and World Order in the New Millennium

Abstract

This article seeks to evaluate the prospects for a liberal world order. Sceptical visions of renewed conflict and major terrorist threat are rejected. But this does not pave the way for a peaceful, cooperative liberal order in any simple way. Liberal progress also produces illiberal counter-reactions, and strong political forces are pursuing a liberal order with elements that are essentially illiberal. There has been much too little debate about the substantial contents of a liberal world order. The article identifies two major currents in liberalism, Restraint and Imposition. Each is problematic and a stable liberal world order will have to find a course which avoids the pitfalls of these extremes.