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The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command
When it comes to liberalism, the usual story in postwar America is one of decline, accompanied by the subplot of conservatism’s ascendance. But take a longer view—look beyond and below politics—and it is the unchallenged triumph of liberalism and its philosophical assumptions that ought to command our attention.
The triumph of liberalism means the tyranny of liberalism, explains James Kalb in this illuminating book, for liberalism is the extension into the sociopolitical realm of modern scientific thought and technological rationality. These modes of thinking are regarded by nearly everyone today as uniquely authoritative; those institutions and beliefs which do not conform are regarded at best as annoyances, and at worst as evil. Furthermore, Kalb shows how liberalism is an expression of the interests and outlook of commercial and managerial elites, who are suspicious of less rationalized and controllable forms of social organization like the family.
Kalb does not merely rehearse a tale of woe, nor is he content simply to analyze the current situation. With reference to concrete issues such as the debate surrounding same-sex marriage, he outlines the kind of traditionalist response to liberalism that is likely to be most effective. He argues that traditional, decentralized, and nonliberal forms of social organization are ultimately impossible to eradicate, and he shows how more human forms of association than those favored by liberalism might once again be brought into being.
The triumph of liberalism means the tyranny of liberalism, explains James Kalb in this illuminating book, for liberalism is the extension into the sociopolitical realm of modern scientific thought and technological rationality. These modes of thinking are regarded by nearly everyone today as uniquely authoritative; those institutions and beliefs which do not conform are regarded at best as annoyances, and at worst as evil. Furthermore, Kalb shows how liberalism is an expression of the interests and outlook of commercial and managerial elites, who are suspicious of less rationalized and controllable forms of social organization like the family.
Kalb does not merely rehearse a tale of woe, nor is he content simply to analyze the current situation. With reference to concrete issues such as the debate surrounding same-sex marriage, he outlines the kind of traditionalist response to liberalism that is likely to be most effective. He argues that traditional, decentralized, and nonliberal forms of social organization are ultimately impossible to eradicate, and he shows how more human forms of association than those favored by liberalism might once again be brought into being.
330 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 4, 2009
The Tyranny of Liberalism by James Kalb
James Kalb is a lawyer and independent scholar who has written a rich and complex work on modern liberalism. As we all know, liberals use to stand for liberty and freedom, but with the overall success of their ideas, they have instead followed a quasi-French Revolution over-reach where they have now become reactionary and quite illiberal. The Tyranny of Liberalism helps explains just why that is so.
Arguing that the outcome of liberal efforts have led us to a place where, thanks to political correctness, we can no longer have an open and free exchange of ideas. This is caused by the genuine fear of reproach and consequences of an honest exchange of ideas and opinion. To call that liberty or freedom does violence to those ideals. The power of liberalism has become invisible due to its overall dominance in modern society. Yet, we all know of the self-censorship that we do on a daily basis, not out of politeness, but out of the fear that has been engendered by the left.
One of the problems with modern liberalism is that it denies basic facts of human nature, tendencies and differences between the sexes, all for the supposed good of different victim groups. Though little thought is paid to the long-term damage of paternalization on society and individuals. Kalb does a great job of explaining the pitfalls that have hampered society due to the rise and acceptance of these beliefs.
The Tyranny of Liberalism is not a broadside against the left, as much as it is a theory of our intellectual decline. It shares much of the vision of Theodore Dalrymple without the overall pleasantness of the latter’s work. This is a book that should be studied and debated, but it will not be due to the very issues that the book deals with.
James Kalb is a lawyer and independent scholar who has written a rich and complex work on modern liberalism. As we all know, liberals use to stand for liberty and freedom, but with the overall success of their ideas, they have instead followed a quasi-French Revolution over-reach where they have now become reactionary and quite illiberal. The Tyranny of Liberalism helps explains just why that is so.
Arguing that the outcome of liberal efforts have led us to a place where, thanks to political correctness, we can no longer have an open and free exchange of ideas. This is caused by the genuine fear of reproach and consequences of an honest exchange of ideas and opinion. To call that liberty or freedom does violence to those ideals. The power of liberalism has become invisible due to its overall dominance in modern society. Yet, we all know of the self-censorship that we do on a daily basis, not out of politeness, but out of the fear that has been engendered by the left.
One of the problems with modern liberalism is that it denies basic facts of human nature, tendencies and differences between the sexes, all for the supposed good of different victim groups. Though little thought is paid to the long-term damage of paternalization on society and individuals. Kalb does a great job of explaining the pitfalls that have hampered society due to the rise and acceptance of these beliefs.
The Tyranny of Liberalism is not a broadside against the left, as much as it is a theory of our intellectual decline. It shares much of the vision of Theodore Dalrymple without the overall pleasantness of the latter’s work. This is a book that should be studied and debated, but it will not be due to the very issues that the book deals with.
February 20, 2010
This guy has me at hello. Or, rather, he has me on page four with "The triumph of liberalism in public discussion and the consequent disappearance of openly avowed nonliberal principles has led the outlook officially established to embody liberal views ever more completely and at the same time to diverge more and more from the permanent conditions of human life. The result has been a growing conflict between public standards and the normal human understandings that make commonsense judgments and good human relations possible." By page ten, I'm taking this with a grain of salt but dang, that's some sexy good writing.
August 24, 2018
Kalb is so underrated! If you are want to understand modern political life in America and the West and comprehend the patterns of political and social thought, goals, definitions, and organizational structures that constitute the established order, there is no better analysis than Kalb's. Beyond the distinctions between our political parties, Kalb exposes the macro-assumptions that guide them both and have moved us inexorably away from the basic assumptions that guided the West for nearly 2,000 years.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews