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The onion model of liberalism: From outermost layer to innermost blackened core, liberalism consists of:
1. Multiparty electoral democracy
2. Liberal political institutions (rights, rule of law, etc)
3. The market system
4. Science as ‘method’
5. ‘Solipsistic’ conception of mind
1. Multiparty electoral democracy
2. Liberal political institutions (rights, rule of law, etc)
3. The market system
4. Science as ‘method’
5. ‘Solipsistic’ conception of mind
The onion model of liberalism can help us understand other states. Every state on Earth shares the liberal conception of science and mind. The vast majority have adopted the market system. So EVERY state is on some point along the progression of this disease.
The core of liberalism (its conception of mind and science) is so pervasive because the industrialization of the West created a security dilemma. Every state needed to become high-tech and this core provides a (false) promise: become high-tech without losing your identity.
The core of liberalism was created for this purpose: to subordinate science and technology to a ‘humanistic’ political and economic order. The core is appealing to traditionalists, nationalists, etc, because it appears to offer a way to reconcile science and tradition.
Thus, even movements that oppose liberalism inevitably end up accepting the core beliefs of liberalism and setting their states on the path to full-blown liberalism.
The market system is presented in similar ‘neutral’ and ‘natural’ terms to the liberal conception of mind and science, and this is similarly misleading. However, there is at least some awareness of this fact and there have been (unsuccessful) attempts to find a non-market route.
The vast majority of states, including ‘rival’ states, have adopted the core three layers of the liberal onion - the liberal conception of mind, science, and economics - and are far along the path of disease progression. Yet we bludgeon them still! The more cages, the better.
