ReImagining Liberty cover image

ReImagining Liberty

When You Think Your God Wants You to Be an Authoritarian (w/ Kevin Vallier)

Sep 9, 2023
Kevin Vallier, Associate Professor of Philosophy, critiques integralism in his book 'All the Kingdoms of the World', exploring the role of God, church, and state. Integralism's relation to Catholicism, the prevalence of converts, and their zeal for a divine mission are discussed. The potential collapse of liberalism and challenging traditional stereotypes in the military are explored. Equality in worldviews and arguments against integralism are presented.
48:51

Episode guests

Kevin Vallier

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Integralism proposes a transition plan that is highly improbable and contradicts Catholic teachings.
  • The ideal of integralism presents inherent contradictions and moral dilemmas that challenge its viability and fairness.

Deep dives

The Ideal of Integralism: Transition Problems

The podcast episode discusses the concept of integralism, a religious anti-liberal ideology that has resurfaced among certain intellectual circles. It explores the three conditions integralists propose: the secular power ordained by God, the spiritual power of the church, and the indirect power of the Pope. The episode highlights the inherent difficulty of transitioning to an integralist society, as it would require taking over the state, influencing the Catholic Church globally, and coordination among thousands of elites. The argument is made that such a transition plan is highly improbable and goes against Catholic teachings. It also points out the lack of action-guiding principles in the ideal, making it challenging to reach the desired goals.

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