ABSTRACT
The canons of liberalism Speaking in loose and general terms, a liberal society is one that is, or attempts to be, an open society, a free and tolerant environment where
the widest possible range of pursuits are allowed, consistent with equal such opportunities for everyone. Laws are structured and society is organized according to the principles of toleration (by way of respect for autonomy) and equality, where state action attempts to maintain a basic neutrality concerning the different ways of life taken up by its members and restricts behavior only when it is necessary to protect the equal status of all citizens. But one person’s openness is another person’s constraint, and it becomes practically as well as theoretically daunting to consistently set out the basic principles of such a society.
