Isaiah Berlin, part 3: The anti-liberalism of the 'big society' | Giles Fraser

work both red and blue conservative "large" companies, the risk of a loss of diversity of social solidarity of the community united

the heart of many debates on contemporary liberalism is often expressed the contrast between liberalism and communitarianism. My own sense of this debate is that both positions are attempting to describe the virtues of a very different view of what the good society should look like.

communitarianism, we can say, the company believes in thickness. This is the kind of society where there is a high degree of social solidarity. Call this the kind of community that we imagine, for example, a Welsh mining town. Everyone knows everyone. And, roughly speaking, everyone looks like everyone else. Here there is a considerable degree of confidence - people can leave their back doors unlocked so in a society like this, there is a strong sense of belonging, to come from somewhere. This is a society in which "I" is preceded by "we".

liberalism, on the other hand, the values ??of a fine. This is the kind of society that has a high degree of social diversity. Actually, criticism of the liberal vision of the community is based on equality. Do they say, much harder to be different in a society thick - someone difficult, for example, grow gay or marrying another religion or ethnicity. Thin in society, however, each person is different and the difference is celebrated. People are free to be themselves. The "I" comes first, "we" is lower. It is, thin in society - I live in London, for example - there is a much less degree of social solidarity

• If the contrast is correct (which is itself a problem), then there is a tradeoff between diversity and social solidarity. And it will be one of the most important policy to deal with this dilemma, in response to the question of what kind of society we want to live, of course, for many of us, the ideal society should have a high degree two. But if society coarse / fine is about right as a way to characterize the problem, then the idea that you can have both may be questionable. And this policy decision-making raises some uncomfortable.

few weeks ago, the guru Maurice Glasman Blue Labour is in hot water with his friends on the left to ask tough questions about immigration policy. "We must review our relations with the EU in the labor movement," he said. Mr. Glasman, of course, like its counterpart on the conservative side, Felipe Rubio, is the community of all kinds, both influenced by the writings of anti-liberal thinkers such as Alisdair MacIntyre. Both are suspected of liberalism and market capitalism that supports it.

for capitalism - and the free movement of workers will necessarily with it - works to thin thick companies. Those who can not find a job should get on their bikes as normal Tebbit once famously put it. Thus, the social solidarity of the thickness of traditional communities is sacrificed for the good functioning of the market, some insist, has a much happier relationship with diversity. After all, a shopping center like London has always aspired to people around the world. Markets generate diversity. Global markets businesses generate fine.

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