LSE: Public Lectures and Events

Episode: On liberalism on defence in freedom

Date: October 17, 2025
Speaker: Cass Sunstein
Chair: Paul Kelly

Overview

This episode features Harvard professor Cass Sunstein, one of the most influential political theorists and legal scholars, presenting his latest book on liberalism. Addressing a packed room at the LSE, Sunstein sets out to defend liberal values—freedom, pluralism, rule of law—in a time he argues is marked by renewed attacks from both the political left and right. Drawing from historical and philosophical sources, Sunstein offers a clear, compelling, and hopeful articulation of what liberalism is, how it has evolved, and why its core principles remain indispensable.

Key Points & Insights

The Contemporary Crisis of Liberalism

• Liberalism is under pressure: Sunstein explains that liberalism faces critiques from all sides—right-wing populists accuse it of enabling moral decline and disorder, while the left sees it as inadequate against systemic issues like racism and economic inequality.

  “Liberalism is under pressure, even siege.” (02:16, Cass Sunstein)

• Misunderstandings and Caricatures: Many critics, Sunstein argues, engage with a caricature of liberalism, refuting a version that lacks philosophical grounding rather than addressing its fundamental principles.

• The Need for Clarity: Sunstein identifies an urgent need to restate and clarify the evolving, essential commitments of liberalism for both defenders and detractors.

Defining Liberalism: Core Commitments

• Freedom as the Heart of Liberalism:

  • Freedom of thought, speech, and religion are non-negotiable tenets.
  • Pluralism—the ability for people to live together despite profound disagreements—is central.

  “If you don't believe in freedom of thought and freedom of speech, you are not a liberal.” (06:23, Cass Sunstein)

• The Rule of Law: Liberals demand government by clear, fair, prospective laws—and, crucially, the right to dissent.

• Democracy Anchored by Reason-Giving:

  • Democracy is more than majoritarianism; liberal democracy requires public accountability and justification for all exercises of power.

  “Reason giving as built into the liberal tradition as a supplement to the commitment to accountability.” (12:05, Cass Sunstein)

• Rejection of Authoritarianism:

  • No form of “liberal authoritarianism” exists, just as there’s no “feline dog.”

  “Liberal authoritarianism is not a thing. It’s a little like a feline dog.” (13:39, Cass Sunstein)

• Dignity and Agency:

  • Liberals see people as subjects, not objects—emphasizing agency, dignity, and autonomy.

Liberalism's Evolution and Diversity

• Historical Roots:

  • Traces liberalism back to Benjamin Constant, emphasizing freedoms and the separation of church and state.
  • Recognizes tension within liberalism—market-oriented (Hayekian) vs. welfare-state (Rawlsian/New Deal).

  “Liberalism is a really big tent. I almost called the book Big Tent Liberalism.” (10:40, Cass Sunstein)

• Family Disputes, Shared Foundations:

  • While liberals disagree—on markets, welfare, etc.—their shared commitment to freedom, pluralism, and rule of law unites them.
  • Figures like Churchill, Obama, Thatcher, Reagan, and Merkel all fit within the liberal tradition despite sharp disagreements.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• On Orwell’s Ambivalence:
  Sunstein rereads 1984, noting its enduring power lies in Orwell’s own ambivalence toward tyranny:

  “Orwell got tyranny and anti-liberalism, and part of his soul was profoundly attracted to it... He was, of course, in the end, a chooser of liberalism. But his soul's ambivalence crashes through the book.” (02:33, Cass Sunstein)

• On Self-Government and Lincoln:

  “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent. I say that is the leading principle, the sheet anchor of American republicanism.” (20:30, quoting Abraham Lincoln)

• Classic Rallying Cry:

  “Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard.” (15:53, Cass Sunstein, referencing Justice Jackson)

• Rawls’ Gentleness vs. Mill’s Fire:

  • Sunstein contrasts liberalism’s “fire” in Mill and Conson’s writings with Rawls’ “gentle” final line:

  “Purity of heart, Rawls writes, if one could attain it would be to see clearly and to act with grace and self command.” (28:02, Cass Sunstein)

• Liberalism’s Defining Spirit:

  “Liberalism, more than anything, is full of hope. Hopeful people are remaking it every day.” (29:43, Cass Sunstein)

Structured List: The “Chapters” of Liberalism

(Selected insights, see main transcript for full list, 13:39–29:43):

• Liberals prioritize:
  • Rule of law, pluralism, freedom
  • Democracy (deliberative, accountable)
  • Security and human rights
  • Accommodation of plural viewpoints
  • Dignity and agency for every individual
• Liberalism evolves (“not like a rock; it is constantly growing like a tree”)
• “Illiberal democracy” is rejected—democracy without freedom and pluralism is not enough.

Audience Q&A Highlights

Defining the Boundaries of Liberalism

Danny (31:45):

“It seems to me that what you're trying to do is limit the argument [for liberalism]… So either liberalism is fairly limited in definition, or it’s been growing far beyond your limited definition, and people identify it with a whole host of things they don’t like... Can you explain that contradiction?”
Cass Sunstein (32:51):

• Liberalism has foundational commitments, but the application of those principles is continuously specified and interpreted in changing contexts—no contradiction.

On the US Supreme Court’s Liberalism

Jay (32:59):

“A lot of the [Supreme Court’s] decisions… have seemed decidedly illiberal… How do you imagine a future liberal American president interacting with a court which seems perhaps less committed to liberalism?”
Cass Sunstein (35:22):

• Only one recent decision (on presidential immunity) is “clearly illiberal”; most others reflect disagreements that remain within a liberal framework.
• Future presidents can adapt or publicly challenge court decisions, as FDR did.

The Democratic Socialist Left

Huddy (34:41):

“What narratives or arguments from the contemporary left… worry you most as a liberal, and why?”
Cass Sunstein (35:22):

• Worries arise if the left is not fully committed to private property, free speech, or freedom of religion, but many leftists are “liberal leftists”—this is a matter of principles, not labels.

Paternalism and Nudging

Audience Member (42:57):

“Can you elaborate on the relationship between the paternalist embedded into nudging with liberalism? Is there any contradiction?”
Cass Sunstein (44:35):

• There is vigorous debate; Sunstein champions “liberty-preserving paternalism” (nudges with opt-out), which fits liberalism’s emphasis on agency and freedom, though some forms of coercive paternalism are more controversial but still within a broad liberal context.

Historical Change and Neoliberalism

Audience Member (43:03):

“How has the notion of liberalism changed historically, from Enlightenment to neoliberalism?”
Cass Sunstein (44:35):

• Major shift from “perfectionist” (everyone should lead a liberal life) to “political liberalism” (respecting diverse conceptions of the good)—embracing pluralism and neutrality about comprehensive moral views.

Ideal vs. Non-Ideal Theory

Arman (43:59):

“To what extent do failures of liberalism relate to the translation from ideal to non-ideal theory in everyday life?”
Cass Sunstein (44:35):

• Many so-called failures are actually misidentifications; liberalism’s core commitments work well, but adaptation and self-critique are continuous challenges.

Implementing Liberal Nudges in Non-Liberal Systems

Audience Member (54:29):

“How do you promote nudge-based systems in contexts without liberal governance?”
Cass Sunstein (55:45):

• Effective nudges are being trialled even in non-democracies; while good governance helps, meaningful policy change is sometimes possible even under less-than-ideal political conditions.

Tone and Style

Throughout, Sunstein is erudite but accessible, blending historical reference with humor and candor. He is optimistic about liberalism’s future, urging commitment to its core values—freedom, openness, hope—and to constant, open-minded self-renewal.

“The defining feature of liberalism has always been its youth, its energy, its fierceness, its delight in human agency, its insistence on laughter, its openness to novelty and surprise, its high spirits, its opposition to cruelty, no boots on people’s faces in a liberal regime. And its capacity for indignation, its optimism, its adventures in self definition, its refusal to despair, its sense of mischief, its commitment to experiments in living—liberalism, more than anything, is full of hope. Hopeful people are remaking it every day.” (29:43, Cass Sunstein)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Intro to Liberalism & 1984: 02:16–05:00
• Defining Liberalism (Freedom, Rule of Law, Pluralism): 06:23–10:40
• Historical Development: 11:00–13:30
• Enumerated List of Liberal Commitments: 13:39–29:43
• Memorable Quotes: 16:00–29:00
• Q&A: Liberalism’s Boundaries, Supreme Court, the Left: 31:45–38:43
• Q&A: Paternalism and Nudges: 42:57–44:35
• Q&A: Liberalism in Practice, Neoliberalism, Ideal/Non-Ideal Theory: 43:03–54:29
• Closing Remarks: 59:46–60:19

Conclusion

Cass Sunstein’s LSE talk is an impassioned defense and re-articulation of liberalism’s core values. Far from tired or on the defensive, Sunstein’s liberalism is hopeful, creative, and responsive to real-world challenge—insisting that genuine commitment to freedom, pluralism, the rule of law, and optimism about our shared future are more vital than ever.