The Paradox of the Contemporary Left

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In 1960, the dominating politics was one that was talking to economic inequality. And yet today it's about equality across various dimensions of identity rather than social class. There's something really paradoxical about that, isn't there? Yes, it is. It is the paradox of the contemporary left. I find it hard to understand some of the identitarian leftists to confront the paradox because it seems such an obvious problem for any left politics.

Michael Walzer is an eminent political philosopher and the author of numerous books, including Just and Unjust Wars and Spheres of Justice. He is professor emeritus at the Institute of Advanced Study, has taught at Harvard University, and is editor emeritus of the magazine Dissent.

In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Michael Walzer discuss why, though he is a democratic socialist, he believes that there are certain acceptable forms of inequality; what forms of injustice true egalitarians should focus on fighting; and the threats to liberalism from the post-liberal right and the illiberal left.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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