HIST 90.10 Liberalism and Its History: World War II to the Present

The 2016 election of Donald Trump, Brexit, and what appears to be a global turn to nationalism, have led to the publication of endless columns and myriad books proclaiming liberalism to be in a state of international crisis. Liberalism is not in its death throes, but what talk over a crisis of liberalism has initiated is a discussion about its historical origins, and how liberalism has evolved over time given new political contexts and challenges. The purpose of this course is to help you come to terms with today’s political crisis by looking at challenges to liberalism—as an idea, sensibility and political program—from the Cold War until the present. Topics to be discussed include: Cold War Liberalism, Neoliberalism, the liberalism of John Rawls and his critics, Neoconservatism, Globalization, Liberalism and Religion, and the contemporary crisis of liberalism.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:SOC; WCult:W

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Class of 2023 and Before Major/Minor Dist: US; Class of 2024 and Beyond Major/Minor Dist: US, modern.