Francis Fukuyama Responds to Liberalism’s Discontents

Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Director of Stanford's Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy. He is the author of many books including The End of History and the Last Man, The Origins of Political Order, and most recently, Liberalism and its Discontents.  ... Continue Reading →

Liberal Tolerance

By Justin Kempf Liberal Tolerance Tomorrow's episode features Patrick Deneen. It's part of the three episode arc on liberalism. I invited Patrick, because he makes a powerful case against liberalism. I say powerful, because it is so direct. He does not make equivocations or hesitations. He's willing to say liberalism failed. It's unusual to find... Continue Reading →

The Values of Liberalism

A review of The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On Liberal as an Adjective Review by Justin Kempf The Values of Liberalism In this week's episode of the podcast I talked to Michael Walzer. We talked about his recent book The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On Liberal as an Adjective. In the Preface he explains... Continue Reading →

Michael Walzer on Liberal as an Adjective

Michael Walzer is an emeritus professor at the Institute for Advanced Study. He was also a longtime editor of Dissent. He is the author of many books including the classic of political philosophy Spheres of Justice. His most recent book is called The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On “Liberal” as an Adjective.   Become a... Continue Reading →

The Politics of Ambiguity

By Justin Kempf Autocratic Ambiguity The precise line between democracy and autocracy was never entirely clear. Part of the problem was the inability of autocratic government to govern autocratically. Even the most capable autocrats rely on advisors and civil servants to carry out their wills. Moreover, they find it necessary to delegate significant authority to... Continue Reading →

The BJP Goes Too Far

Become a Patron! The BJP's Hindu Nationalism Interferes with India's International Relations The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rose to power through an ideology of Hindu Nationalism. Hinduism is an Ancient religion with deep roots in India, however Hindu Nationalism is a more recent invention. It is a political ideology based on religious identity rather than... Continue Reading →

The Moderation of Liberalism?

Become a Patron! The sixth and final post on Francis Fukuyama’s recent book Liberalism and its Discontents. The Moderation of Liberalism Francis Fukuyama includes a puzzling line near the beginning of Liberalism and its Discontents. The title suggests an uncompromising defense of liberalism against its critics. However, Fykuyama writes, "The answer to these discontents is... Continue Reading →

The Discontent for Liberalism from the Right

Become a Patron! The fifth of six posts on Francis Fukuyama’s recent book Liberalism and its Discontents. The Discontent for Liberalism from the Right The fiercest attacks against liberalism have always come from conservative intellectuals. Indeed, Americans imagine conservatism as the antithesis of liberalism. But conservatism is not the same as illiberalism. Moreover, conservatism can... Continue Reading →

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