The Decline of Liberalism as an Ideology

Hallowell does an excellent job examining the decline of integral liberalism. Integral liberalism emerged from the deterioration of the Church, the appearance of the nation-state, and the breakdown of the feudal system in Europe. From this liberalism began as an intellectual movement that the individual has moral worth. Integral liberalism was a subcategory of liberalism that has a subjective and objective element, individuals are autonomous and that there are certain eternal truths respectively.

Science was beginning to gain significant ground with the discovery of the atom and soon philosophers wanted to utilize the scientific method in order to prove the eternal truths found in the universe. Integral liberalism quickly became the show more dominant philosophical thought, but with the emergence of positivism and historicism it began to lose ground. As integral liberalism was being torn down by positivism and historicism Germany politico-legal thought was left empty of an objective element. Naziism was able to gain support among the people by guaranteeing the things that were now lacking in politico-legal thought.

This book was superb in describing integral liberalism and its decline. Hallowell does both the history of liberalism and a current look at the deterioration of liberal thought in society. show less