Honor and Obligation in Liberal Society: Problems and Prospects
Liberalism's political, economic, and social benefits are undeniable. However, these benefits come with a price: liberal societies are losing their sense of honor, civic obligation, higher moral purpose, shared values, and community. This series focuses on classical liberalism, honor, and social and civic obligation. We invite contributions on the problems within liberalism in general, and especially scholarship addressing how honor codes are challenged or changed by liberalism. We also welcome manuscripts which conceptualize liberalism in ways compatible with modern needs, or discuss the prospects and problems associated with the so-called “bourgeois virtues” extolled by liberal philosophers, and their connection to materialism, individualism, and social obligation. Scholars who can address the international dimension of these questions are also sought: for instance, globalization may spread economic development, but at what expense to cultural norms and practices that have kept traditional societies intact? This series is open to contributions from scholars representing classics, political science, international relations, philosophy, history, literature, religious studies, and other disciplines whose work bears on these questions. Successful proposals will be accessible to a multidisciplinary audience, and advance our understanding of liberalism, its development, and its repercussions for our future.

Editor(s): Laurie M. Johnson (lauriej@ksu.edu)
Advisory Board: Anthony Cunningham, Steven Forde, Linda Frey, Marsha Frey, Sharon Krause, Peter Olsthoorn, Paul Robinson, and Ajume Wingo