Liberalismo inclusivo e diritti: pensando a un futuro possibile per le democrazie occidentali

The great economic recession, the Covid 19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine represent great challenges for Western liberal democracies, as well as for the complex of normative theories that can be traced back to liberalism. This makes the debate on liberalism very topical. Both Salvati-Dilmore's and Felice's book offer an interesting opportunity to talk about liberalism again, in order to better outline a feasible horizon for the future of our societies. Using different strategies and arguments, both books question the origins and destiny of a political perspective inspired by the principles of liberalism and enriched by contamination with the socialist tradition. This article aims at throwing light, on the one hand, the overlap between these two books and, on the other, what most differentiates them. The way in which the issues of economic and enterprise freedom are treated and, consequently, public policies are justifiable in the light of some liberal theories inspired by socialist values, such as Piketty's participatory socialism, are the points on which Salvati’s and Felice's perspectives diverge. These topics are critically examined, highlighting that the main question, for both perspectives, concerns the compatibility between social and economic freedoms. A crucial point also for the purpose of configuring a social coalition able to recognizing itself in a new liberal and more inclusive political platform for the coming years. A salient question for those who still feel the salience of a moral, political and cultural commitment in favor of a society characterized by more fairness and justice.