''Why Liberalism Failed'' is a 2018 book by
Patrick Deneen, a professor of political science at the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
.
[Robert Kuttner]
Blaming Liberalism
New York Review of Books, November 21, 2019 It criticizes both forms of American liberalism – "
classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is a political tradition
Political culture describes how culture impacts politics. Every political system is embedded in a particular political culture.
Definition
Gabriel Almond defines it as "the particular patt ...
," typically called in America "
libertarianism
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...
"; and "
progressive/
modern liberalism," often simply called "liberal."
Synopsis
''Why Liberalism Failed'' is a critique of political, social, and economic liberalism as practiced by both American
Democrats and
Republicans. According to Deneen, "we should rightly wonder whether America is not in the early days of its eternal life but rather approaching the end of the natural cycle of corruption and decay that limits the lifespan of all human creations."
The book argues that liberalism has exhausted itself, leading to
income inequality
There are wide varieties of economic inequality, most notably income inequality measured using the distribution of income (the amount of money people are paid) and wealth inequality measured using the distribution of wealth (the amount of we ...
, cultural decline, atomization,
nihilism
Nihilism (; ) is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, that rejects generally accepted or fundamental aspects of human existence, such as objective truth, knowledge, morality, values, or meaning. The term was popularized by Ivan ...
, the erosion of freedoms, and the growth of powerful, centralized bureaucracies.
The book also argues that liberalism has replaced old values of community, religion and tradition with self-interest.
Reviews
In a review for ''
The New York Review of Books
''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...
'',
Robert Kuttner
Robert L. Kuttner (; born April 17, 1943) is an American journalist and writer whose works present a liberal/progressive point of view. Kuttner is the co-founder and current co-editor of ''The American Prospect'', which was created in 1990 as a ...
described the book as "convenient for conservatives looking to blame all ills on liberals", to oppose
globalization
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
and market fundamentalism, perceiving liberalism as "a dangerous betrayal of deeper sources of culture and civilization such as the family, the tribe, the nation, and the church". Kuttner also argued that Deneen engaged in "exaggerations, omissions, and misrepresentations of liberalism", adding that "the acclaim his book initially received is startling, even scandalous."
Writing in ''
The Week
''The Week'' is a weekly news magazine with editions in the United Kingdom and United States. The British publication was founded in 1995 and the American edition in 2001. An Australian edition was published from 2008 to 2012. A children's edi ...
'', Damon Linker described it as "the most electrifying book of cultural criticism published in some time", adding that Deneen argues that liberalism failed because it succeeded. But Linker wrote that he did not find "especially persuasive" the claim made in the book that the Western liberal world was nearing its end.
[Damon Linker]
An ominous prophecy for liberalism
''The Week'', January 22, 2018.
44th
United States President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United State ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
wrote in 2018 that, while he disagrees with many of the conclusions of the book, ''Why Liberalism Failed'' "offers cogent insights into the loss of meaning and community that many in
the West
West is a cardinal direction or compass point.
West or The West may also refer to:
Geography and locations
Global context
* The Western world
* Western culture and Western civilization in general
* The Western Bloc, countries allied with NATO ...
feel, issues that
liberal democracies
Liberal democracy is the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government. It is characterized by elections between multiple distinct political parties, a separation of powers into diff ...
ignore at their own peril".
Jennifer Szalai for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote that it "speaks to a profound discontent with the political establishment" and that Deneen echoes the popular 2016 election sentiment that both parties were the same. She adds that the book does not only attribute liberalism to one side but mostly to political elites orthodoxy dating to 500 years ago. She describes the book as "a deeply exasperating volume that nevertheless articulates something important in this age of disillusionment". Deneen proposes a more traditional society where "preferably religious communities tend to the land and look after their own" and is critical of a women's liberation that pushed them into capitalism.
[''New York Times'']
'If Liberalism is Dead, What Comes Next?
January 17, 2018
In its review of the book, ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' argued that Deneen "does an impressive job of capturing the current mood of disillusionment, echoing left-wing complaints about rampant commercialism, right-wing complaints about narcissistic and bullying students, and general worries about atomisation and selfishness", but criticized him for failing to actually convince that the only way to solve the problem is abandoning liberalism. The magazine concludes that "the best way to read ''Why Liberalism Failed'' is not as a funeral oration but as a call to action: up your game, or else."
Park MacDougald wrote for ''
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
'' that Deneen criticizes liberalism not because of its materialist failures but from a philosophical standpoint and "what he sees as a liberal redefinition of the ancient and medieval concept of freedom, or
libertas
Libertas (Latin for 'liberty' or 'freedom', ) is the Roman goddess and personification of liberty. She became a politicised figure in the Late Republic, featured on coins supporting the populares faction, and later those of the assassins of Jul ...
", that "liberalism's big innovation was to reject this classical understanding as unrealistic, unscientific, and oppressive". He concludes that "''Why Liberalism Failed'' is a polemic, if an elegantly argued one, and it contains some of the drawbacks of the genre".
[''New York Magazine'']
Has the Operating System for the Western World Crashed?
February 27, 2018
Paleoconservative
Paul Gottfried
Paul Edward Gottfried (born November 21, 1941) is an American paleoconservative political philosopher, historian, and writer. He is a former Professor of Humanities at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. He is editor-in-chief of the paleocons ...
wrote in ''
The Independent Review
''The Independent Review: A Journal of Political Economy'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering political economy and the critical analysis of government policy. It is published by the Independent Institute, a conservative lib ...
'' that, while he agrees with much of the criticism of liberalism, he also finds several idiosyncrasies in the book, describing it as "an anti-modernist Catholic polemic that has elicited praise and support from unexpected admirers".
Writing for the ''
National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief i ...
'', Christian Alejandro Gonzalez was critical of the book, arguing that "Deneen's critique of liberalism exhibits an undue nostalgia for the past and ingratitude for the virtues of the present", adding that the book "combines Marxist economic protestations with social-conservative moral sensibilities to produce a critique of the classical liberal project."
Writing for ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'',
Jonah Goldberg
Jonah Jacob Goldberg (born March 21, 1969) is an American conservative syndicated columnist, author, political analyst, and commentator. The founding editor of ''National Review Online'', from 1998 until 2019 he was an editor at ''National Revie ...
agreed with Deneen that "There are a myriad downsides to radical individualism. America's troubles today are inextricably linked with the breakdown of the family, local institutions, communities, organized religion and social trust." However, Goldberg concluded that "An illiberal order that allows people to say and think what they want, innovators to create what they want and citizens to maintain loyalties to things other than the perpetuation of the regime is an oxymoron. Which is why I would rather live in a society that often fails to live up to its Liberal ideals than in one that succeeds in forcing me to bow down to illiberal ones."
In a review for ''
The Washington Times
''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...
'',
Aram Bakshian Jr. wrote that the book "lucidly explains how liberalism has trapped itself in its own labyrinth", but fails to offer a credible alternative to it: Bakshian is particularly critical towards Deneen’s propositions for a new post-liberal society, arguing that such visions "totters on the edge of
New Age
New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...
absurdity", comparing it to
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...
's ideal of the
Noble Savage
A noble savage is a literary stock character who embodies the concept of the indigene, outsider, wild human, an "other" who has not been "corrupted" by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness. Besides appearing in man ...
.
Writing for ''
Jacobin
, logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg
, logo_size = 180px
, logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794)
, motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir)
, successor = Pa ...
'', Lyle Jeremy Rubin said that the book is "a bold, seasonable, and at times, welcome estimation of the liberal status quo — yet one that nonetheless suffers from the significant blind spots and prejudices of its author.", arguing that the book's "anticapitalist conservatism" comes "far short of liberation."
The conservative political journal ''
American Affairs
''American Affairs'' is a quarterly American political journal founded in February 2017 by Julius Krein. The editors describe the journal as blending the literature and philosophy of the ''Claremont Review of Books'' with the political interests o ...
'' has published commentaries on the book by Polish philosopher
Ryszard Legutko
Ryszard Antoni Legutko (), (born 24 December 1949), is a Polish philosopher and politician, and professor of philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, specializing in ancient
philosophy and political theory.
Biography
Under communis ...
and Harvard University Law professor
Adrian Vermeule
Cornelius Adrian Comstock Vermeule (, born May 2, 1968) is an American legal scholar who is currently the Ralph S. Tyler Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School. He is best known for his contributions to constitutional law and admin ...
.
[Adrian Vermeule]
Integration from Within
American Affairs Journal, February 2018.
Jackson Lears T. J. Jackson Lears (born 1947) is an American cultural and intellectual historian with interests in comparative religious history, literature and the visual arts, folklore and folk beliefs.
Christopher Caldwell describes Lears' vision of American ...
and
Cornel West
Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is an American philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual. The grandson of a Baptist minister, West focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society and ...
have praised the book.
References
{{reflist
2018 non-fiction books
English-language books
Books about liberalism
Yale University Press books