The challenge of liberty

the long version

The quest for freedom has always been as much a battle of ideas as it is a popular struggle. Seminal classical liberal thinkers such as John Locke and Adam Smith stressed the inherent worth of the individual, inalienable rights, the rule of law, and the benevolent consequences of the cooperative, peaceful pursuit of one's own happiness. These ideas became the intellectual scaffolding for much of humankind's most fundamental civil institutions and achievements. The Challenge of Liberty restores the ideas and ideals of classical liberalism as the intellectual and cultural roots of free societies regarding individual rights, human dignity, market processes, and the rule of law. In so doing, this unique book reveals why nationalism, bureaucracy, and dehumanization are foils of classical liberalism, including as they affect such diverse issues as defense, healthcare, education, and commerce. - Back cover.