The Revolutionary Center: How True Liberalism Created (and Will Save) the Modern World
A sharply intelligent history of liberalism—one of the most misunderstood terms used today—that untangles vital misconceptions to reveal why the world urgently needs a more liberal mindset.

So-called liberalism has been twisted out of shape by both the left- and right-wing who incorrectly conceive of it in ideological terms, without understanding what a liberal philosophy really entails. In untangling these misconceptions, Wooldridge reveals why the world desperately needs to adopt a proper liberal mindset.

The cycles of history predict that without a return to liberalism, we face autocracy, fascism, and the societal stratification already visible in the world’s structures of opposition: populists versus elitists, the ultra-woke versus the steadfastly traditional, and capitalist-triumphalists against capitalist-catastrophists. A call to arms amidst American economic stagnation and the global censorship of information, Adrian’s new book guides us through liberalism’s intellectual, cultural, and political histories to remind us of the true liberal’s values: freedom through self-determinism, individual rights, healthy skepticism, thoughtful tolerance, and aversion to dogmatism.

Adrian diagnoses areas of necessary improvement for today’s passive liberals, who would do well to embody the flexible, moderate, and critical approaches of their Cold War predecessors. The West’s success against Communist totalitarianism came from recognizing the need for a strong military defense while using open communication to explain what the West was defending. This energy must be applied to our understanding of overseas regimes and of Western capitalism at home.

To avoid global catastrophe and uphold intellectual freedom and privacy, we must learn from the liberal past and look ahead, critiquing the structures we find ourselves in and those further afield
1146385230
The Revolutionary Center: How True Liberalism Created (and Will Save) the Modern World
A sharply intelligent history of liberalism—one of the most misunderstood terms used today—that untangles vital misconceptions to reveal why the world urgently needs a more liberal mindset.

So-called liberalism has been twisted out of shape by both the left- and right-wing who incorrectly conceive of it in ideological terms, without understanding what a liberal philosophy really entails. In untangling these misconceptions, Wooldridge reveals why the world desperately needs to adopt a proper liberal mindset.

The cycles of history predict that without a return to liberalism, we face autocracy, fascism, and the societal stratification already visible in the world’s structures of opposition: populists versus elitists, the ultra-woke versus the steadfastly traditional, and capitalist-triumphalists against capitalist-catastrophists. A call to arms amidst American economic stagnation and the global censorship of information, Adrian’s new book guides us through liberalism’s intellectual, cultural, and political histories to remind us of the true liberal’s values: freedom through self-determinism, individual rights, healthy skepticism, thoughtful tolerance, and aversion to dogmatism.

Adrian diagnoses areas of necessary improvement for today’s passive liberals, who would do well to embody the flexible, moderate, and critical approaches of their Cold War predecessors. The West’s success against Communist totalitarianism came from recognizing the need for a strong military defense while using open communication to explain what the West was defending. This energy must be applied to our understanding of overseas regimes and of Western capitalism at home.

To avoid global catastrophe and uphold intellectual freedom and privacy, we must learn from the liberal past and look ahead, critiquing the structures we find ourselves in and those further afield
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The Revolutionary Center: How True Liberalism Created (and Will Save) the Modern World

The Revolutionary Center: How True Liberalism Created (and Will Save) the Modern World

by Adrian Wooldridge
The Revolutionary Center: How True Liberalism Created (and Will Save) the Modern World

The Revolutionary Center: How True Liberalism Created (and Will Save) the Modern World

by Adrian Wooldridge

eBook

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Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on August 5, 2025

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Overview

A sharply intelligent history of liberalism—one of the most misunderstood terms used today—that untangles vital misconceptions to reveal why the world urgently needs a more liberal mindset.

So-called liberalism has been twisted out of shape by both the left- and right-wing who incorrectly conceive of it in ideological terms, without understanding what a liberal philosophy really entails. In untangling these misconceptions, Wooldridge reveals why the world desperately needs to adopt a proper liberal mindset.

The cycles of history predict that without a return to liberalism, we face autocracy, fascism, and the societal stratification already visible in the world’s structures of opposition: populists versus elitists, the ultra-woke versus the steadfastly traditional, and capitalist-triumphalists against capitalist-catastrophists. A call to arms amidst American economic stagnation and the global censorship of information, Adrian’s new book guides us through liberalism’s intellectual, cultural, and political histories to remind us of the true liberal’s values: freedom through self-determinism, individual rights, healthy skepticism, thoughtful tolerance, and aversion to dogmatism.

Adrian diagnoses areas of necessary improvement for today’s passive liberals, who would do well to embody the flexible, moderate, and critical approaches of their Cold War predecessors. The West’s success against Communist totalitarianism came from recognizing the need for a strong military defense while using open communication to explain what the West was defending. This energy must be applied to our understanding of overseas regimes and of Western capitalism at home.

To avoid global catastrophe and uphold intellectual freedom and privacy, we must learn from the liberal past and look ahead, critiquing the structures we find ourselves in and those further afield

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781639369386
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publication date: 08/05/2025
Sold by: SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format: eBook
Pages: 400

About the Author

Adrian Wooldridge is the global business columnist at Bloomberg News. Previously, he was the Economistpolitical editor, author of the Bagehot column, author of the Schumpeter column, Washington bureau chief, and author of the Lexington column. Adrian was educated at Balliol College and All Souls College, Oxford, where he earned a doctor of philosophy in history. He is the author of twelve previous books, most recently Capitalism in America (with Alan Greenspan) and The Aristocracy of Talent. Adrain lives in London.
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