Human Flourishing, Liberal Theory, and the Arts

The idea of a ‘liberalism of flourishing’ makes two major claims: the good life is one in which an individual succeeds in developing her intellectual and moral capabilities, and it is the function of the state to create the conditions that allow for this. Combining the history of ideas with analytical political philosophy, Menachem Mautner finds the roots of the theory in the works of great philosophers and argues that for individuals to reach a 'liberalism of flourishing' they need to engage with art.