ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the issue of how liberalism, the dominant ideology of Western democracies since 1945 is best justified. Also examined is the issue of the historical journey of toleration in Western liberal democratic states from religious toleration after the wars of religion, to toleration of political views and sexual lifestyles. Liberalism of one kind or another is the dominant political tradition of Western culture and as such has been under attack from the authoritarian right wing and authoritarian left-wing for decades as well as newer attacks from Islamist radicalism. However despite attacks from without liberalism there has been a debate going on within liberalism about how best to justify the characteristic practices and beliefs of liberalism. Liberalism is the dominant ideology of the Western democratic states. The 'liberalism of fear' refers to the 'fear' of the weak of the official abuse of power given that it is the weak and vulnerable who bear the weight of such abuses.
