“Dynamism is the core of liberalism. The reason why liberalism is better than its global competitors, such as authoritarianism or different forms of perfectionism, is because it harnesses disagreements and diversity and channels it into productive outcomes.”

That’s Ryan Muldoon, professor of philosophy at the University at Buffalo and director of its Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program, describing the project “Diversity, Dynamism and Inclusion: A New Multi-Method Approach for Studying Liberalism.”

The project, for which he is the principal investigator, has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Also on the project are fellow Buffalo philosophers Justin Bruner, Alexandra Oprea, Alex Schaefer, and David Gray, as well as political scientist Jake Neiheisel and economist Erik Kimbrough (Chapman University).

Professor Muldoon writes, “This work will involve formal models, computer simulations, lab experiments, and large-scale surveys, to help us better understand the mechanisms that allow liberal institutions to use diversity, dynamism and inclusion as tools for improving liberal orders.” He notes that, among other things, the grant will support the hiring of three post-docs and a lab manager. Further details here.