Andrew Sullivan's message of pluralism

Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote this morning about Andrew Sullivan's new book, and where the right went wrong:

If I am a conservative, and I detest many of the things thisconservative administration is doing, then what kind of conservative amI and what kind of conservatives are they?

“The ConservativeSoul” is Sullivan’s answer to that question. His book is important, notonly because he is willing to re-examine his own views relentlessly,but also because this is a moment when conservatism is in tumult, withold alliances breaking down, new divisions widening into chasms. Ihappen to be friends with Sullivan, and with many of the people heattacks, and I have no idea how we will all regard one another in fiveyears.

“The conservatism I grew up around” Sullivan writes on thesecond page of the book, “was a combination of lower taxes, lessgovernment spending, freer trade, freer markets, individual liberty,personal responsibility and a strong anti-Communist foreign policy.”His heroes were Thatcher, Reagan, Solzhenitsyn, Havel, Hayek and Orwell.

Butover the past few years, he argues, something new has usurpedconservatism and threatened the world — religious fundamentalism. It isa mindset more than a faith, Sullivan argues: “Its core is not theindividual conscience, but God himself, and the decision of theindividual to surrender himself to God entirely as the premise of everyaction he commits and every decision he makes.”

Thefundamentalist, Sullivan continues, is hostile to pluralism, feelsalienated from society, surrenders to authority and is untroubled bydoubt. “The fundamentalist does not tolerate a diversity of views.There is one truth; and all other pretenders are threats to it, orcontradict it.”

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Some of those values listed in the third paragraph are progressive values as well.  The last time I used the word pluralism on this blog, someone emailed me and asked what that meant.  So just in case some of you want a refresher on what pluralism is, here are a few versions of the definition:

• A system that includes individuals from groups differing in basicbackground experiences and cultures. Pluralism allows for thedevelopment of a common tradition while preserving the right of eachgroup to maintain its cultural heritage. It implies mutual respect.  (Source: Girl Scouts)
• In the social sciences, pluralism is a framework ofinteraction in which groups show sufficient respect and tolerance ofeach other, that they fruitfully coexist and interact without conflictor assimilation.  (Source: Wilkipedia)
• the doctrine that the world is not a unit in law and structure, but the scene of contrary forces and processes.  (Source: Will Durant Foundation)
• in metaphysics, the belief that there is more than onekind of fundamental reality or of fundamental existents. Hence,pluralism stands in contrast to monism (one kind of fundamental realityor existent) and dualism (two kinds of fundamental reality orexistent). In ethics, the belief that there is more than one kind offundamental good or supreme ethical value.  (Source: Filosofia.net)

You get the idea.