Abstract

Perfectionist liberalism is a theory which examines ways in which the social fabric of our nation might be rebuilt. It borrows from communitarian and liberal political theory. Communitarians lament social decay, worrying about rising crime, drug abuse, divorce, and the like. They want to counteract these trends by balancing rights with responsibilities, freedom with loyalty. ;Liberals regret these trends as well but fear governmental infringement on personal freedoms. The liberal insight is that individuals have better lives if they are free not to get married or to work for the betterment of society. ;Perfectionist liberalism seeks to reconcile these two theories. They acknowledge the importance of responsibility and freedom. According to the best account of perfectionist liberalism, an individual life is more fulfilling if it includes certain responsibilities, obligations, and commitments. One may freely choose to abandon one's projects, or forego commitment altogether, but not without great personal cost. Rather than diminishing them, adults enhance their lives if they forfeit the freedom to sit on the couch all day, prey sexually on others, or pursue one hobby after the next without end. Recent work in political theory bears out this claim