I agree with political liberals on the need to distinguish between
liberalism as a comprehensive doctrine, a philosophy of man, and
liberalism as a doctrine that is concerned with the institutions and
values of the liberal society. And I am also committed - although in a
way that differs from them - to elucidating the political dimension of
liberalism. I want to scrutinize its contribution to the emergence of
modern democracy as a new regime. But this requires recognition that
the liberal democratic regime is not exhausted by its liberal component.
For it consists in the articulation of two elements, the liberal one
constituted by the institutions of the liberal state (rule of law,
separation of powers, defence of individual rights) and the democratic
one of popular sovereignty and majority rule. Moreover, liberty and
equality, which constitute the political principles of the liberal
democratic regime, can be interpreted in many different ways and
ranked according to different priorities. This accounts for the multiple
possible forms of liberal democracy. The 'liberals' privilege the values
of liberty and individual rights, while the 'democrats' insist on equality
and participation. But as long as neither side attempts to suppress the
other, we are witnessing a struggle inside liberal democracy, over its
priorities, and not one between alternative regimes.