Republican freedom and Moen's dilemma

Abstract

Republicanism and liberalism have long been regarded as rival political doctrines, although the exact nature and degree of that rivalry has always been subject to debate. In a new contribution to this debate, Moen's The Republican Dilemma argues that republicans face an unavoidable choice between adopting a moderate interpretation of republican doctrine suitable for modern political conditions, but indistinguishable from liberalism in practice; or a strong interpretation distinct from liberalism, but out of step with modern political conditions. This response argues that Moen has misunderstood key aspects of republican theory, and thus his critique ultimately misses its target.