Norms of Liberty

Rasmussen and Den Uyl argue for a politics that protects the conditions of human flourishing without legislating any particular version of it — a perfectionist ethics (flourishing is real, objective and individualized) paired with a non-perfectionist politics. Their bridge is what they call the liberty principle: because flourishing is agent-relative and can only be self-directed, the political order’s job is to secure self-direction rather than to promote virtue directly.

Why it’s on the list: The sub-section is the natural-right tradition read alongside Strauss — how a politics of rights can be grounded in a claim about human nature rather than in preference or convention. This is the contemporary entry in that lineage.

Where I saw it: Brendan McCord’s Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List, in the section on History of Political Philosophy and the Natural Right Tradition. Shared on X on March 9, 2026 and saved to Kyle’s “Books To Read” Apple Note. The full 211-entry transcription, with the four parts and sixteen sub-sections, is on The Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List.

Connections

• The Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List — the curriculum this card came from.
• Liberalism — the tradition the book is arguing within and trying to ground.
• Ethics — the perfectionist ethical claim that carries the political argument.
• Human Nature — the natural-right premise the argument rests on.