Liberalism as a Way of Life

In the 2021 census, 40% of Australia claim no religion. In fact, religious “nones” are the fastest-growing group of religious affiliation, or rather, non-affiliation in the country. But if people who aren’t religious don’t believe in God and aren’t members of a church, then where do they tend to draw their beliefs and values from? My talk proposes an answer: liberalism.

That might sound surprising. Isn’t liberalism a political ideology? More specifically still, isn’t it a political party in Australia? Based on my new book, Liberalism as a Way of Life, I argue that liberalism is so much more than that. Not only can it be the basis for a fun and fulfilling life, but it may already be the basis of your own.

Alexandre Lefebvre is Professor of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Sydney. His most recent book is Liberalism as a Way of Life (Princeton University Press, 2024).