Raymond Aron is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the intellectual history of twentieth-century liberalism. Yet his status in the history of liberal thought has been more often proclaimed than explained. In this talk Iain Stewart will discuss his book, Raymond Aron and Liberal Thought in the Twentieth Century (Cambridge University Press, 2020) and address a number of under-studied questions about Aron’s place in the history of liberalism.
For instance, how, why and with what consequences did Aron, whose formative influences were mostly non-French and often radically anti-liberal thinkers, come eventually to define and align himself with a French liberal tradition?
What was his role in the development of 'Cold War liberalism' and is his thought worth revisiting in light of liberalism’s current crisis?
With the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States
