Covenants without Swords

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The book explores the inherent conflict within liberal theory, highlighting the contradiction between the commitment to universal equality and historical support for hierarchy and empire. Through the analysis of influential British liberals Gilbert Murray and Alfred Zimmern, the author, Jeanne Morefield, challenges traditional academic boundaries. She argues that this tension, both domestically and internationally, stems from a shared reformist goal: creating a socially conscious liberalism that inadvertently reinforces paternalistic structures rooted in preliberal ideals.