An Argument from Etymology

But is it sound? After all, ordering is through law, and it is possible for a liberal regime to legislate. One could argue that its laws are generally not valid, as they usually are not orderings to the common good. There is something to be rooted in a community and its culture, history, and tradition(s), which liberalism may claim to transcend through reason. That may be true as well. Is Schmitt's "illiberalism" worth investigating? I don't know yet.

Liberalism is a philosophical abstraction. It is alien to all societies. That is why liberalism cannot produce order, which is just another word for locating/rooting (Ordnung = Ortung).

— Carl Schmitt (@HomoHominiLupuz) June 4, 2020