Prodigal Child
Two new books critically engage with postliberalism, signaling a shift in political theory. The authors, Paul Kelly and Matt Sleat, offer differing perspectives on the implications of postliberal thought. While Kelly critiques postliberalism as a dead end for egalitarian politics, Sleat aims for constructive dialogue with liberalism.
- ▪Polity has released two books that critically engage with postliberalism, a once marginal political theory.
- ▪Paul Kelly argues that postliberalism represents a dead end for the left and egalitarian politics.
- ▪Matt Sleat seeks to facilitate dialogue by reflecting on the critiques posed by postliberals to liberalism.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Prodigal Child James R. Wood May 18, 2026 Share Article Against Post-Liberalism: Why ʻFamily, Faith and Flagʼ Is a Dead End for the Leftby paul kellypolity, 208 pages, $22.95Post-Liberalismby matt sleatpolity, 240 pages, $22.95 Something of a shift in the landscape is signaled when a press like Polity releases, almost simultaneously, two book-length critical engagements with postliberalism—a body of thought that just a decade ago would have struggled to earn a footnote in most political theory journals. And whatever the two new studies make of this school—rather little, in the end—they have at least grasped this much: The unquestioned hegemony of liberal political theory is over. The liberal case is now one that has to be made.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at First Things.
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