<div>In this collection of essays on the core values of liberalism, Stephen Holmes--noted for his scathing reviews of books by liberalism's opponents--challenges commonly held assumptions about liberal theory. By placing it into its original historical context, <i>Passions and Constraints</i> presents an interconnected argument meant to fundamentally change the way we conceive of liberalism.<br><br>According to Holmes, three elements of classical liberal theory are commonly used to attack contemporary liberalism as antagonistic to genuine democracy and the welfare state: constitutional constraints on majority rule, the identification of individual freedom with an absence of government involvement, and a strong emphasis on the principle of self-interest. Through insightful essays on Hobbes's analysis of the English Civil War in <i>Behemoth</i>, Bodin's writings on the benefits of limited government, and Mill's views on science and politics, Holmes shows that these basic principles provide, to the contrary, a necessary foundation for the development of democratic, regulatory, and redistributionist politics in the modern era.<br><br>Holmes argues that the aspirations of liberal democracy--including individual liberty, the equal dignity of citizens, and a tolerance for diversity--are best understood in relation to two central themes of classical liberal theory: the psychological motivations of individuals and the necessary constraint on individual passions provided by institutions. Paradoxically, Holmes argues that such institutional restraints serve to enable, rather than limit, effective democracy.<br><br>In explorations of subjects ranging from self-interest to majoritarianism to "gag rules," Holmes shows that limited government can be more powerful than unlimited government--indeed, that liberalism is one of the most effective philosophies of state building ever contrived. By restricting the arbitrary powers of government officials, Holmes states, a liberal constitution can increase the state's capacity to focus on specific problems and mobilize collective resources for common purposes.<br><br><i>Passions and Constraint</i> is an assessment of what that tradition has meant and what it can mean today.<br><br></div>