ABSTRACT

Given the rise in popularity of openly illiberal politics on the right, both in political systems and in theoretical discussions, it is of pressing importance to articulate a positive, conservative view of the classical liberal idea of the open society. This chapter aims to offer just such an articulation, focusing on the need to balance freedom—especially individual freedom—and openness with the trust required for the preservation of social integrity. This chapter argues that conservatism is not against openness and change; it is concerned with the social conditions—chiefly solidarity, continuity, and trust—that must be kept in place if those things are to be possible. The danger in liberal individualism, to which the current “illiberal” turn in the politics of the right is a reaction, is that it sees any constraint of individual freedom as unjustified, until proven to be necessary. By shifting the onus of proof constantly in favor of the individual, liberalism jeopardizes the trust on which liberal policies and the very possibility of an “open” society ultimately depend.