ReImagining Liberty 092: Liberalism's Common Ground (w/ Matt Zwolinski and Matthew McManus)
58 snips
Oct 31, 2025 In this discussion, philosophy professor Matt Zwolinski and liberal socialist Matthew McManus explore the intersections between libertarianism and liberal socialism. They dive into shared values and differing policies, debating how both perspectives emphasize individual freedom while addressing state intervention in healthcare and workplace democracy. Zwolinski highlights the importance of public reason in navigating disagreements, while McManus stresses the need for principled, pragmatic leadership to uphold and adapt liberal democracy amidst new challenges.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Values Don’t Auto-Generate Policy
- Shared values don't uniquely determine policies because empirical and sociological beliefs mediate the link from values to policy.
- Agreement on policies can also occur between actors with very different fundamental values.
Freedom As A Shared Priority
- Both liberal socialists and many libertarians prioritize individual freedom, but interpret threats to freedom differently.
- Non-state threats like workplace domination matter as much as state threats for assessing freedom.
Property Can Become Private Power
- Property can express individuality but mass property concentration creates private power that threatens freedom.
- Socialists worry about private tyrannies as well as state power and propose cooperatives and democratic workplace reforms.
