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Full Idea
Liberals take people as they are, and relates their interests to what they actually want or prefer.
Gist of Idea
Liberals take people as they are, and take their preferences to be their interests
Source
Steven Lukes (Power: a Radical View (2nd ed) [2005], 1.6)
Book Ref
Lukes,Steven: 'Power: a radical view' [Macmillan 2005], p.37
A Reaction
He contrasts this with 'reformists' and 'radicals'. I don't see why liberals should be so uncritical of people's desires. Liberals aren't going to implement harmful policies, simply because people want them. He treats liberals as one-dimensional.
Related Idea
Idea 22855 One-dimensionsal power is behaviour in observable conflicts of interests [Lukes]