Universalism's Poverty (A Critique of Liberal Political Philosophy)

Author: Ma Depu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Universalism is a prominent feature of Western cultural tradition and a fundamental element of liberalism. This book explores the social and historical roots of Western liberal universalism, examines its three main forms of argumentation and some of their variations, analyzes the epistemological foundations and pitfalls of each form of argumentation, and reveals its complex relationship with colonialism, imperialism, and hegemony. Due to its lack of process awareness, condition awareness, and historical awareness, universalism tends to derive conclusions from dogmas rather than from reality, preferring to cut the rich and diverse reality with abstract principles. It is the true root of various dogmatisms. Liberal universalism is a form of left-wing dogmatism, and its critique is a continuation of the critique of dogmatism.