Fatal attraction: "Willful liberalism" and the denial of public transparency

Liberals often seek to ground public rules and institutions in values and b eliefs that can make sense to all citizens despite their ethical difference s. For Richard Flathman, however, this search for political "transparency" is rooted in excessive fear of diversity and excessive optimism regarding o ur capacity to rationally resolve the difficulties created by linguistic an d ethical opacity. He treats the result as not only philosophically incoher ent, but also politically dangerous in promoting needless and unjustifiable restraints on individual purposiveness. He seeks to counter such problems with a "willful" liberalism that celebrates ethical opacity and promotes th e widest possible diversity of self-making. This essay argues that, despite its many charms, "willful" liberalism suffers certain internal flaws. Spec ifically, Flathman's meta-ethical voluntarism works to undermine not only h is commitment to equal freedom, but also the very goal of adventuresome sel f-making at the heart of his normative ideal.