Tempered liberalism is less hopeful, or perhaps complaisant, certainly less optimistic than many earlier forms and even some later forms of liberalism. It's a much less confident form of liberalism than eithersome earlier liberals who believe in the march of progress,. Or more recent liberals who thought that we were on the road to the end of history with liberal democracy. And temperate liberals really turn away from these general principles, these general constitutional frameworks, these general economic or social policies., to focus much more on matters of temperament and character.