But a defense of capitalism is liberal in the classic sense. This kind of economy is supposed to liberate everyone to define themselves so that they needn't labour under preconceived categories such as caste. In practice, capitalism proves to be confining too. But there are classic liberal concepts buried in any defense of capitalism.

I suppose any question of whether the liberal metanarrative is compelling is bound to be academic, so it would matter mainly to intellectuals. The deeper question, then, is broader: Should intellectual questions matter to the public at large? Are folks missing something by dismissing all academic, ideological matters? Is understanding society philosophically, for example, a good thing for everyone? Maybe the answer isn't so obvious.