Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. This important book explores the values of equality and diversity as promoted across liberal societies, drawing on various traditions of political and social philosophy, including liberal egalitarianism, existentialism, and elements of post-modernism and post-structuralism. These philosophies are applied to policy and practice debates, especially concerning disability issues, but also relating to gender and multiculturalism. It will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students across a range of social studies disciplines.

"You don't need to AGREE that liberal egalitarianism can be rescued from 'identity politics' by reconciling elements of 'analytic' and 'continental' philosophy to find Smith's argument fruitful and thought-provoking." Bob Brecher, University of Brighton

Steven R. Smith is Professor of Political Philosophy and Social Policy at University of Wales, Newport, and founding member of the Newport Social Ethics Research Group. He has published in numerous journals, contributed to key texts, has maintained various editorial roles for journals and books, and is author of two other research monographs. His main interests are in the relationship between theory or philosophy and professional and social practices, egalitarianism and the politics of recognition, and the philosophy of disability and the disability rights movement.