Persuasion has established itself as an intellectual leader in defending liberal democracy and its institutions, with approximately 75,000 subscribers, a regular roster of high-profile contributors, and an advisory board composed of today's leading philosophically liberal thinkers and writers. The recent acquisition of American Purpose, co-founded and edited by Francis Fukuyama, further strengthens Persuasion's standing as a key forum for debates about the future of philosophically liberal values.
To live up to our mission of revitalizing philosophical liberalism, Persuasion is now ready to go further: we need a renewed defense and articulation of the values that underpin our liberal democratic political system. With the support of the John Templeton Foundation, we propose an ambitious series of articles, podcasts and public discussions of what it would mean to take liberalism seriously as a way of life.
Two questions will animate this initiative: How can philosophically liberal virtues offer a way out of the crisis of meaning that now characterizes so much of American life—providing guidance for what it means to live in accordance with liberal virtues in the personal as well as the political spheres? And how can such liberal virtues win the support of citizens who are drawn from diverse religious and cultural traditions without devolving into zero-sum conflict between identity groups?
This content would include ambitious long-from essays; thoughtful opinion pieces; and special episodes of The Good Fight podcaWe est with Yascha Mounk. Additionally, it may feature articles in American Purpose and conversations on the publication’s longtime books podcast, Bookstack.
A two-year funding commitment from JTF will cover the costs of commissioning and editing innovative work from some of today's most interesting thinkers as well as a modest budget for marketing and distribution of the series to maximum effect.
