‘Liberalism is in crisis. Or so it seems. In the aftermath of Brexit and Trump’s election, a plethora of books and articles reporting the end of liberalism emerged from both ends of the political spectrum. While the majority of voices from the American left and mainstream right mourned this perceived decline, a new faction within the right saw it as an opening for envisioning a fresh political paradigm beyond the constraints of liberalism. Many of these right-wing thinkers and activists, with whom U.S. Vice-President J. D. Vance publicly identifies, call themselves postliberals. Yet the early uses of the term “postliberal” were strikingly different, denoting communitarian attempts to transcend liberal individualism rather than the illiberal rejection of liberal-democratic norms.’ — Jacob Williams & João Pinheiro da Silva, ‘Postliberalism: A Genealogy’.

Timetable:

2 – 2.45pm, João Pinheiro da Silva (University of St. Andrews) and Jacob Williams (Oxford) will introduce their essay, ‘Postliberalism: A Genealogy’ (Telos, no. 212, 2025), why they wrote it, and what its thesis is.

2.45 – 3.30pm First response will be given by Professor John Milbank (Emeritus, Nottingham).

3.30 – 4pm Break for tea and coffee.

4 – 4.30pm Second response will be given by Professor Paul Kelly (London School of Economics), author of Against Postliberalism: Why ‘Family, Faith and Flag’ is a Dead End for the Left (Polity, 2025).

4.30 – 5.20pm panel discussion with all of the speakers, moderated by a chair, and Q&A with the audience.