Enforcing Liberalism: Liberal Responses to Illiberal Groups

This chapter discusses the requirements of liberalism that are most relevant to a liberal society’s treatment of antiliberal groups. There exists a similar range of mechanisms for enforcing liberal ideals on groups that violate the requirements of strong autonomy and strong toleration. To understand when antiliberal groups are in conflict with the requirements of liberalism, however, it is necessary to have a more precise understanding of what comprehensive liberalism’s autonomy requirement entails. Political liberals argue that liberalism includes no such endorsement of individual autonomy but requires only toleration of competing private conceptions of the good life. Strong autonomy requires the ability to engage in active deliberative decision making. Groups that deny-either for their own members or for individuals outside their group-the right of individuals to hold and act upon their own beliefs and project violate the dictates of both weak autonomy and weak toleration.