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Liberalism That Wins
A Foundation for Democratic Renewal
Praise
This book is currently under review with a broad range of leading experts across multiple scientific disciplines. This page will be updated accordingly. (Last update 23rd Sept 2025)
"This insightful and brilliant perspective offers a compelling argument that liberal democracies, rooted in our biological predispositions for morality, provides the conditions for stability, progress, and human flourishing. Our evolved preferences for fairness, care, cooperation, and group loyalty are the foundation for a scientific-based liberalism. By understanding these instincts, we can see how human nature shapes politics and why liberal values create the best conditions for stability, progress, and human well-being."
Dr. Jean Decety
John D. MacArthur Distinguished Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Chicago
Expertise as relates to the work:
Dr. Decety is a world-renowned neuroscientist and psychologist, best known for pioneering research on the neural and developmental foundations of empathy and morality. As the John D. MacArthur Distinguished Professor at the University of Chicago, his work bridges psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry — showing how our moral instincts are rooted in human biology.
"Murphy’s description of natural human tendencies is a wonderful reminder of our species’ potential for handling conflict well. His appeal to rethink how our politics work should be cherished regardless of where you sit on the great political divide."
Dr. Richard Wrangham
Professor of Biological Anthropology, Emeritus
Harvard University
Expertise as relates to the work:
Dr. Wrangham is one of the world’s most famous anthropologists and primatologists, best known for his research on aggression, cooperation, and the evolution of human morality. As the Ruth B. Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University, his studies of chimpanzees and human self-domestication provide foundational evidence for how reduced aggression and cooperation enabled human society to flourish.
"At a time when liberal democracy is faltering, Liberalism That Wins presents a coherent vision for reform rooted in human nature. It shows how policies aligned with our moral instincts can rebuild trust, strengthen cooperation, and revitalize liberal institutions."
Dr. Takis S. Pappas
Author of Populism and Liberal Democracy: A Comparative and Theoretical Analysis
(Oxford University Press)
Expertise as relates to the work:
Dr. Pappas is a political scientist specialising in populism, democracy, and democratic decline. Author of Populism and Liberal Democracy, his comparative research has shaped global understanding of how liberal institutions falter and how they can be renewed.
"Wonderfully rooted in a deep and scientifically grounded understanding of human nature, Liberalism That Wins provides a roadmap to a more effective politics and a more moral and free society."
Dr. Jon Manner
Professor of Social and Evolutionary Psychology
Florida State University
Expertise as relates to the work:
Dr. Maner is a leading researcher bridging social and evolutionary psychology, studying how motivation, emotion, and social cognition shape human behavior. A professor at Florida State University, his work explores fundamental motives — such as the drive for affiliation, protection, and hierarchy — that underlie cooperation, group life, and the stability of human societies.
"The post-war liberal order faces significant challenges. This book effectively argues that understanding our innate moral preferences, which evolved to foster cohesive and collaborative social groups, can serve as a solid foundation for revitalizing liberal democracy."
Dr. Mario F. Mendez
Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Expertise as relates to the work:
Dr. Mendez is a leading behavioural neurologist whose research bridges neurology and experimental psychology. At UCLA and the VA in Greater Los Angeles, he studies how brain disorders, especially frontotemporal dementia and related focal cortical degenerations, alter moral cognition, emotional judgment, and social behaviour.
Other Praise / Reviews / Analysis
"A convincing, well-written and brilliantly researched grounding for a new liberalism."
Tom Egerton
Political Writer & Researcher
Co-Author of The Conservative Effect (Cambridge University Press 2024)
Type: Analysis
Outlet: The Political Inquiry
Title: A New Liberalism for a New Age?
“The underlying thesis of Liberalism That Wins – that we need to build society on a foundation of how we actually think and behave as a species – is a genuinely exciting and thought-provoking contribution to the field of political philosophy. It challenges us to rethink our ideas and to look beyond political thought to progress in fields ranging from psychology to evolutionary biology.”
Simon Perks
Author of Political Philosophy & Public Finance
"At a time of growing polarization and democratic backsliding around the world, this book is a timely and important contribution to the debate on how to renew democracy and build a fairer, more legitimate society."
Dr. Therese Pettersson
Department of Peace and Conflict Research
Uppsala University
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