ABSTRACT
The Conclusion draws together the strands of the discussion, summarizes my own response to the problem of value pluralism, and offers some brief remarks about the place of the pluralist literature in contemporary political philosophy. As noted at the beginning, my response combines insights from all of the approaches studied, but emphasizes two in particular: the conceptual approach, qualified by historical contextualism. This leads to a qualified case for liberalism. Assuming modern conditions, liberal principles and institutions are superior to the alternatives because they are the likeliest vehicles for promoting value diversity, personal autonomy, and inclusive democracy. I close by noting two general points demonstrated by this study. First, Berlin has created more of a ‘school’ of successors than he is sometimes given credit for. Second, the concerns of value pluralists are more central to contemporary political theory than is commonly realized.
