ReImagining Liberty

We’re all ideological, even if we don’t admit it. We like to think of everyone else as ideological, but imagine our own views to be “reality-based,” simply a clear-eyed picture of how things really are. That's nonsense, and today's episode is all about why. My guest is Jason Blakely, a political science professor at Pepperdine University and author of the new book Lost in Ideology: Interpreting Modern Political Life. We discuss what ideology is, what purpose it plays, how it differs from religion, and why we should think of ideology as both a culture and a map. Want to listen to new episodes of ReImagining Liberty two weeks early? Become a supporter and get early access and other perks. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Populism is a bundle of bad ideas motivated primarily by grievances. Once result is set of economic preferences that will only make the country poorer. With populism on the ballot in November, I've brought on my friend and old colleague Ryan A. Bourne to talk about the errors of populist economics. Ryan is the R. Evan Scharf Chair for the Public Understanding of Economics at the Cato Institute, and author of one of the best books about the pandemic, Economics in One Virus: An Introduction to Economic Reasoning through COVID-19. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The right has a problem with women. I don't mean in the sense that women are far less likely to vote for right-wing candidates than men are, though it is true that we have women voters to thank for our avoidance, so far, of the country turning fully towards hard-right authoritarianism. Instead, I mean that misogyny is much more openly expressed by the American right than was the case ten years ago, with influencers, politicians, and conservative leaders defending the view that not only are men and women different, but that the only just social hierarchy is one with men at the top. My guest, Cathy Reisenwitz, has been writing about the diverging politics and ideology of men and women at her newsletter, Sex and the State. She joins me today to talk about why so many men have convinced themselves they're smarter than women, and how that can help us understand our contemporary political scene. If you enjoy ReImagining Liberty, I encourage you to subscribe to my free newsletter, where I write frequently about the kinds of issues we discuss on the show. And if you want to support my work, you can become a member and get early access to all new episodes. Learn more by heading to reimaginingliberty.com. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Digital expression is weird. When we move our communities and communications into digital spaces, such as social media, the result is an uncertain landscape of new incentives, mechanisms of influence, vectors of information and disinformation, and evolving norms. All of which have profound effects on our personal lives, our culture, and our politics. Few people have put as much thought into how these platforms function, or dysfunction, as social ecosystems as Renée DiResta, Research Manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory. In today's conversation, we dig into what makes social media distinct, how communities form and interact online, and what evolving technologies mean for the future of digital expression. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Both the short and long term impact of AI technologies is unknown, but it's almost certain to be significant. It will destroy some industries, accelerate others, and revolutionize still more. And, it seems, no one has a lukewarm opinion about AI. You're either excited about its prospects, or convinced it's nothing more than intellectual property theft, or the inevitable end of the market for human creativity. Worries are particularly acute about what this all means for journalism, and those worries are worth taking seriously, given the importance of quality journalism to a free society and a functioning democracy. My guest today, writer Julian Sanchez, has worked as a journalist and policy analyst, and thought quite a lot about these issues. He joins me for a conversation about AI, the state of content creation, and the future of journalism as a profession. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The January 6th insurrection demonstrated the Trumpist right's willing to use violence to advance its political interests. My guest today is worried that was just the start. Patrick Eddington is a former CIA analyst and a senior fellow in homeland security and civil liberties at the Cato Institute. In a series of essays at his newsletter, The Republic Sentinel, he's been exploring the risks of more widespread political violence should Trump be removed from the ballot, convicted of a crime, or lose the November election. Trump's followers sometimes talk of a new Civil War, and it's important to assess their seriousness and what it might mean to see a sudden increase in violent acts from the far-right. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the one hand, we're told we live in a postmodern age. On the other, postmodernism is a notoriously challenging set of philosophical ideas to nail down and understand. But it's worth the effort, because postmodernism, even if it gets some of its arguments wrong or overstates its case, is deeply interesting, with genuinely valuable insights. To help me tease out just what postmodernism is and what we might learn from it, I'm joined by my good friend, and frequent ReImagining Liberty guest, Matt McManus. He's a lecturer in political science at the University of Michigan, and author of many books, including and The Rise of Post-Modern Conservatism and The Emergence of Post-modernity at the Intersection of Liberalism, Capitalism, and Secularism. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Music gives us meaning, not just in the way we identify deeply with our favorite songs, but in the ways genres create scenes and communities. My conversation today brings back my good friend Akiva Malamet, contributing editor at The UnPopulist, to discuss the connection between music and meaning, and what that can tell us about liberal politics and culture. the thoughtful article Akiva wrote about loud musicReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You'll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they're released to everyone else. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's something different about the contemporary right. Classical liberal rhetoric has been replaced with something much uglier and more reactionary, keen to carve the world into us and them and celebrate the use and abuse of power. Today's conversation is about this turn. Or, as my guest explains, this return to ideologies a century old or more, but now gaining prominence and attacking the very idea of liberalism. To discuss that, I'm joined by Tom G. Palmer. He is executive vice president for international programs at Atlas Network where he holds the George M. Yeager Chair for Advancing Liberty, and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. Our conversation explores the parallels between current far-right movements and ideologies and those of the 1930s and discusses the thinkers and trends that have influenced these movements, such as Carl Schmitt and the rejection of liberal values. We delve into the revolutionary nature of far-right ideologies and their desire to smash existing institutions and examine the aesthetic dimension and the search for meaning in these movements. We conclude by addressing the difficulty in recognizing the danger of far-right movements and the need to take them seriously. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You'll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they're released to everyone else. Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Early access release: 12/9. Public release: 12/16. Become a supporter and get early access to all new episodes. I am a liberal. I’m also a Buddhist. In a recent essay at The UnPopulist, I wrote about the intersection of the two, which I see as more than compatible, and in fact mutually reinforcing. Buddhist ethics gives us not just the best way to live happy and harmless lives, but also a strong foundation for a genuinely liberal society. While Buddhist philosophy informs much of the perspective I bring to conversations at ReImagining Liberty, I haven’t yet done an episode specifically on it, and on how it relates to the kind of liberalism this show is all about. Today I’m correcting that gap. And rather than just monolog at you, I’m delighted to have my friend, and frequent ReImagining Liberty guest, Cory Massimino step in as host to interview me. Cory is a philosophy student and a fellow at the Center for a Stateless Society, and, through many conversations over the years, he’s played a significant role in shaping my intellectual perspective. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else. Learn more: https://www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Years go, I put together an edited volume called Arguments for Liberty. Every chapter took a different school of moral philosophy and made the case for liberalism within it. The point wasn’t just to be an introduction to moral philosophy by way of being an introduction to liberalism, but also to show that the case for liberty isn’t limited to a single philosophical school. It's much more universal than that. But it's not limited to academic philosophy, either. Religion informs the ethical worldview of most of people, and discussing the case for liberalism within religious contexts enriches liberalism and our understanding of it. That’s why I’m so happy to be joined today by my friend Kat Murti. Kat is the Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and co-founder of Feminists for Liberty. But she is also a practicing Hindu. Hinduism is a fascinating faith I know too little about. So I asked Kat to join me on the show to give an introduction to Hinduism, and then to discuss how her Hindu faith informs her radical liberalism and how her liberalism informs her Hindu perspective. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else. Learn more here: https://www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk a lot about liberalism on this show, but to date haven't done an episode on just what liberalism is. So it is my pleasure to have Chandran Kukathas join me today to fix that. He is Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Political Science at Singapore Management University, and the author of many books, including the classic The Liberal Archipelago, and his most recent, Immigration and Freedom. We set out the basic principles of liberalism, explore the nuances and complicated application, and dig into critiques that have been raised by non-liberal thinkers. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else. Learn more here: https://www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The future is a conversation. What the future looks like, and how and which technologies will shape it, isn’t something we can plan, or dictate, or demand in advance, but rather something that emerges from the back-and-forth bargaining of everyone with a stake in it. That’s the argument presented by my guest today, Jason Kuznicki, Editor in Chief of TechFreedom. Jason recently published an essay responding to the venture capitalist Marc Andreessen’s “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto,” which presents the future as under assault by enemies of progress. Jason and I talk about what it means to be a futurist, why certain ideologies have colonized the different sides in debates about emerging technologies, and how we can get back to a hopeful vision of the future as a conversation. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else. Learn more. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s conversation is a companion to our prior episode. I’m joined again by Akiva Malamet, managing editor of The UnPopulist. Last time we talked about identity within liberalism. Now we turn to meaning. Everyone wants to lead a meaningful life, but one of the critiques of liberalism is that a liberal society takes away traditional sources of meaning, and so leaves its citizens feeling detached, either unable to find meaning, or seeking it in frivolous, and so ultimately unmeaningful, pursuits. How compelling is this objection? And what should we, as liberals, do about it? ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else. Learn more. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It seems like everyone has an opinion about identity politics, but far fewer people have a clear definition of it. This is a problem, not just because arguing about vaguely defined terms is rarely productive, but also because identity plays a important role in how we ought to think about liberalism and the role of liberal institutions. My guest today is , managing editor of . Our discussion digs into the nature of identity politics, the nature of identity itself, what it means to validate versus merely tolerate identities, and how that all plays into liberalism. * Read Akiva’s essay on liberalism, toleration, and identity politics. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governments rule our lives, but quite a lot of us believe corporations do as well. And just like we can ask questions about how the states are governed, we can ask similar questions about corporations. How ought they to run themselves? Whose interests should they take into account? What social responsibilities, if any, do they have? To help us think through these questions about corporate governance and the role of corporate institutions, I’m joined by Alexei Marcoux. He’s a Professor of Business, Ethics and Society and Institute for Economic Inquiry Senior Scholar at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early, get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else, and access to the community Discord and our monthly reading group. Get early access. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People have all kinds of reasons, none of them good, for opposing liberalism. Recently, among intellectuals on the right, we've seen the reemergence of a particular religious anti-liberalism that goes by the term “integralism.” It most often comes in a Catholic flavor, but you can find versions of it across pretty much every faith. Kevin Vallier, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University, has a new book out that’s the first to offer a thorough explanation and sustained critique of this new integralist ideology. It’s called All the Kingdoms of the World and it’s my pleasure to bring Kevin on the show to talk about why so many religious intellectuals are attacking liberalism from within a religious framework, and why they’re wrong to do so. Links: * All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism * Kevin Vallier’s Substack ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early, get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else, and access to the community Discord and our monthly reading group. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the earliest episode of this show was a conversation with my friend Ian Bennett, of the Epoch Philosophy YouTube channel, about Marxism. It’s one of my favorite ReImagining Liberty episodes so far, not just because Ian is tremendously smart and I learn a lot from him, but because it’s the kind of conversation I find particularly valuable: a dive in a set of ideas I have many disagreements with, but are influential, interesting, and worth understanding. That’s why I’m so happy to have Ian back today to talk about the Frankfurt School, critical theory, and cultural Marxism. As before, Ian and I diverse rather dramatically on many political and economic issues, but given the role these ideas—or at least the specter of these ideas—plays in current culture war battles, it’s important explore them on their own terms, and see how and where they conflict with the radical liberal perspective I’m building out on this show. And if you come away interest in understanding critical theory more thoroughly than we have time for in an hour long podcast, I encourage you to check out Epoch Philosophy on YouTube. Ian creates short explainers on all the important ideas and thinkers, and does so with remarkable clarity and sophistication. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early, get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else, and access to the community Discord and our monthly reading group. Learn more here. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a series of essays on my website, I’ve been setting out the case goodwill and what I call sympathetic joy within the liberal project. These virtues not only strengthen liberalism, but help us to be happier and more content within a diverse and dynamic liberal society. I haven’t discussed this much on the podcast so far. And so I was happy that my friend Peter Boettke, a University Professor of Economics and Philosophy at George Mason University, gave me an excuse to do so by raising some critiques of my arguments. I’ve brought him on today to talk about the liberal virtues, goodwill and toleration, and the values liberal citizens should have. ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll get access to the community Discord and our monthly reading group, as well as all of my essays—including the audio editions—a week early. Learn more at https://www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an audio version of my essay "Surround Yourself With Those Who Are Admirable, and Distance Yourself From Those Who Aren’t.," originally published on my website on July 20, 2023. The essay discusses the place of admirable friendship in an ethical life. Original link: https://www.aaronrosspowell.com/p/surround-yourself-with-those-who If you'd like to receive all of my essays a week early, as well as get access to the community Discord and reading group, consider becoming a supporter. Head to www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe to learn more. Get full access to Aaron Ross Powell at www.aaronrosspowell.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.