Thesis
In defence of a politics of imperfection: a political philosophical and theological response to the paradox of tolerance in UK policy
- Abstract:
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This thesis is a political philosophical and theological response to the ‘paradox of tolerance’ in the UK’s policy toward activity the state regards as a threat to liberty. It asks – how can the state defend liberty without undermining it? Is privileging a public doctrine intolerant, or can it help to secure liberty?
Chapter One provides an outline of the ‘paradox of tolerance’ in UK policy. By drawing on primary sources, this chapter identifies the ways in which the state has struggled to justify its interventions in defence of liberty, while upholding its commitment to the values of liberty and tolerance.
Chapter Two discusses a spectrum of multiculturalist arguments, arguing that the imperative of recognition (that provides the rationale for cultural accommodation and group rights) weakens the security of individual liberties and damages the legitimacy of state action in their defence.
Chapter Three discusses a spectrum of liberal arguments, arguing that theories striving for thinness or neutrality provide weak security for liberty, and that liberty is better secured by a supportive privileged public doctrine.
Chapter Four presents an opposing argument from Critical Race Theory that liberty requires the repudiation of the inherited order, but concludes that this approach poses a threat to liberty.
Chapter Five offers a critique of previous approaches and proposes an alternative approach grounded in traditional conservatism, qualified by a theological anthropology and eschatology. It argues that Christianity as an anti-perfectionist public doctrine is conducive to securing the conditions upon which liberty depends.
Chapter Six concludes that the approach developed in Chapter Five overcomes many of the difficulties of previous approaches and can provide a constructive interlocutor in contemporary policy debate.
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- Files:
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(Preview, Dissemination version, pdf, 2.2MB, Terms of use)
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Authors
Contributors
+ Biggar, N
- Institution:
- University of Oxford
- Division:
- HUMS
- Department:
- Theology and Religion
- Role:
- Supervisor
+ Hordern, J
- Institution:
- University of Oxford
- Division:
- HUMS
- Department:
- Theology and Religion
- Role:
- Supervisor
- DOI:
- Type of award:
- DPhil
- Level of award:
- Doctoral
- Awarding institution:
- University of Oxford
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Subjects:
- Deposit date:
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2026-10-23
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Emma Webb
- Copyright date:
- 2025
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