Freedom for All with Alex Zakaras

Freedom for All with Alex Zakaras

A bold vision of liberal society designed to meet the crises of our time

Phoenix Books Burlington is thrilled to host Vermont author and University of Vermont professor Alex Zakaras for a reading and talk on his book Freedom for All: What a Liberal Society Could Be!

Alex Zakaras specializes in political philosophy and the history of political thought. His research interests include American individualism, liberalism and its history, democracy and democratic citizenship, and the political ideas of the nineteenth century. He is the author of The Roots of American Individualism: Political Myth In the Age of Jackson (Princeton University Press, 2022),  and Individuality and Mass Democracy: Mill, Emerson, and the Burdens of Citizenship (Oxford University Press, 2009). He is also co-editor of J.S. Mill's Political Thought: A Bicentennial Reassessment, published by Cambridge University Press in 2007.

About the book:

Liberalism is on the defensive almost everywhere. In the past decade, right-wing politicians and intellectuals have staged successful assaults on the most important liberal institutions, including democratic constitutions, independent judiciaries, the free media, and the rule of law. Liberalism’s defenders have struggled to find an adequate response. Many have tried to present liberalism as a humane and reasonable alternative to the chaos and cruelty of the new political right. Political theorist Alex Zakaras argues that this moderate posture is inadequate in our present moment. In the face of rising authoritarianism, rampant inequality, and climate catastrophe, liberals must be willing to demand deep change. Moreover, to compete successfully against charismatic leaders promising dramatic solutions, liberals have to offer a clear and ambitious set of principles and a compelling vision of the future.

Zakaras defends a radical version of liberalism, which is designed to attack the massive inequalities in power, wealth, and status that are pulling the United States apart. At its best, liberalism is an emancipatory political project designed to secure freedom for all. Throughout this book, Zakaras explores what it would mean to implement this project in America today, and what it would demand of its citizens

DATE: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 7PM

LOCATION: Phoenix Books, 89 Church Street, Burlington VT

ADMISSION: $3. Your ticket comes with a coupon for $3 off the book. Coupons expire at closing the evening of the event. Tickets can be purchased at the registration link below, or at the door.

BOOKS: Copies of Freedom for All: What a Liberal Society Could Be will be available at the event for purchase.