Liberalism and the Anglo-American World, 1689-1989

Call for Chapters/Project Description:

The editors of a projected volume in the study of liberalism seek chapter proposals from potential authors.

This project seeks to explore the concept of liberalism within an Anglo-American context. It spans the period from the Glorious Revolution in 1688 – for some the moment Lockean liberalism intersected with Parliamentary monarchy and then traveled the Atlantic to America – to Francis Fukuyama’s declaration of “The End of History” in 1989 with the triumph of liberal democracy over its contemporary opponents. Rather than celebrating this narrative arc or unquestioningly affirming it, this collection seeks to investigate, interrogate, and integrate it into recent scholarship on liberalism, democracy, and capitalism while also arguing for a distinctive Anglo-American variant of these processes that sets them apart from Europe during the nineteenth century or processes of globalization in the twentieth century. The editors of this project envision chapters that will engage with liberalism from a range of perspectives – including those that accept it as a useful category for analysis or other that might question its effectiveness – and use a variety of methodologies to study the topic – economic, social, political, intellectual, and cultural approaches are all welcome. We do ask, however, that any proposals do engage with the concept of liberalism and use the Anglo-American world as a framework. Chapters could, for example, cover a particular location (e.g., Nova Scotia, Jamaica, California, Cornwall) or a concept throughout the Anglo-American world (e.g., liberalism and democracy during the Second World War, slavery and liberalism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries). The editors are especially interested in chapter proposals that engage with concepts of citizenship and belonging, particularly as it pertains to race and gender.

Proposals should be submitted to one of the three editors as a 200-300 word abstract that clearly describes the chapter’s topic, argument, and significance. It will then be circulated to the other editors with a decision made by July 31, 2023.

If you would like to submit a chapter proposal or have any questions regarding the project, please contact one of the three editors: Zach Bates (zachary.bates@ucalgary.ca), James Forbes (james.forbes@ucalgary.ca), J. Tyler Syck (tylersyck@gmail.com).