The Conor Gallagher Show Why Catholics CAN’T Be Libertarian: The Lie That Poisoned Both Left and Right | Patrick Deneen
Nov 10, 2025
Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher and professor at the University of Notre Dame, argues that both left and right libertarianism have corrupted our culture. He discusses how the obsession with liberty without virtue leads to social disintegration and spiritual emptiness. Deneen emphasizes the need for a return to faith and the common good, advocating for a mixed constitution to balance power dynamics. He critiques today's elite disconnection and suggests practical ideas to foster community, local industry, and moral stewardship.
01:49:38
Liberalism Rewires Human Formation
- Liberalism reshapes people by promoting freedom as absence of limits rather than virtuous freedom tied to the good.
- Patrick Deneen argues this worldview dissolves family, community, and religious authority across left and right.
Liberal Neutrality Is A Myth
- Liberal neutrality is a myth because political orders educate citizens toward a particular idea of liberty.
- That liberty becomes freedom from any imposed moral authority, undermining family, community, and religion.
Market Logic Undermines Institutional Authority
- Market logic turned institutions into consumer choices and hollowed out authority-based goods like curriculum and family.
- Deneen shows how introducing consumer choice dismantles educational and social authority over time.
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Intro
00:00 • 3min
Seeing Political Upheaval as Philosophical Consequence
02:53 • 2min
Why Why Liberalism Failed Resonated
04:48 • 4min
How Left and Right Share Libertarian Roots
08:50 • 4min
Why Liberal Freedom Fractures Community
12:51 • 3min
Market Logic's Cultural Penetration
16:12 • 12min
Catholic Social Teaching and Market Limits
28:12 • 4min
The Marketplace vs. The Marketplace in Community
32:25 • 3min
Populism as Reaction to Elite Disconnection
35:34 • 2min
Regime Change: Mixing the Few and the Many
37:30 • 9min
Revolt of the Elites and the Meritocracy Critique
46:40 • 14min
Populism as Immune Response, Not a Cure
01:00:20 • 6min
Expertise vs. Common Sense Tension
01:06:01 • 8min
Making Mayberry Available to All
01:14:20 • 2min
Rebuilding Local Industry and Distributist Ideas
01:16:08 • 6min
Temporal Health: Restoring Past and Future
01:21:55 • 6min
Aristopopulism: Reconstituting Good Elites
01:28:16 • 8min
Practical Ideas to Reconnect Elites and People
01:36:41 • 1min
Why Prayer Is a Political Problem
01:38:00 • 11min
Outro
01:48:46 • 46sec
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The First Populist
David S. Brown
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Rerum Nevarum
Leo XIII
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Democracy in America
Alexis de Tocqueville
Written after his travels in the United States, 'Democracy in America' is a comprehensive study of American society and government.
Tocqueville examines the democratic revolution and its impact on American life, discussing topics such as the sovereignty of the people, the role of civil society, the dangers of the tyranny of the majority, and the influence of religion and individualism.
The book is a philosophical and political analysis that aims to understand why republican representative democracy succeeded in the United States while failing in other places, and it offers insights into the future of democracy both in America and globally.
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That Hideous Strength
C. S. Lewis
Published in 1945, 'That Hideous Strength' is the final book in C.S.
Lewis's Space Trilogy.
The story takes place on Earth and follows the character Mark Studdock, a young sociology faculty member at Bracton College, as he becomes entangled with the National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments (N.
I. C. E. ), a sinister organization with totalitarian ambitions.
The novel delves into themes of faith, doubt, and the struggle between good and evil, featuring characters from the previous books in the trilogy, including Elwin Ransom.
It critiques the dangers of logical positivism and the erosion of moral values, drawing parallels with other dystopian works like George Orwell's '1984'.
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In 'The Culture of Narcissism', Christopher Lasch presents a psychological and cultural synthesis that examines the normalization of pathological narcissism in 20th-century American culture.
Lasch argues that since World War II, America has produced a personality type consistent with clinical definitions of narcissistic personality disorder.
He locates symptoms of this disorder in various aspects of American life, including radical political movements, spiritual cults, and the broader cultural shifts of the 1960s and 1970s.
The book critiques the erosion of family and community structures, the rise of consumerism, and the impact of technological advancements on social relationships.
Lasch's work is a comprehensive diagnosis of American culture, predicting the expansion of narcissistic tendencies into all aspects of American life.
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The true and only heaven
Christopher Lasch
In "The True and Only Heaven: Progress and Its Critics," Christopher Lasch offers a sweeping critique of the ideology of progress and its impact on American society.
He challenges the notion that technological advancement and economic growth inevitably lead to human flourishing, arguing that these forces often undermine traditional values and social bonds.
Lasch explores the historical roots of this ideology, tracing its development from the Enlightenment to the late 20th century.
He examines the tensions between progress and tradition, optimism and hope, and universalism and particularism.
Lasch's work provides a powerful framework for understanding the complex challenges facing contemporary society, urging a re-evaluation of our assumptions about progress and the pursuit of a more just and sustainable future.
#55242
Prayer as a Political Problem
Jean Cardinal Danielou
#53902
From Shadows to Reality
A Study of the Fathers of the church
Danielou
#1
• Mentioned in 1,277 episodes
1984
George Orwell
Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism.
The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother.
Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative.
He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination.
The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.
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Regime Change
Toward a Postliberal Future
Patrick J. Deneen
In 'Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future', Patrick Deneen presents a vision for a postliberal society, critiquing the current liberal order for eroding traditional social structures such as family, religion, and local community.
Deneen argues that classical liberalism has created a self-serving elite that benefits at the expense of the working class.
He proposes a new elite aligned with the interests of the working class, advocating for a mixed regime that combines elements of aristocracy and democracy.
The book builds on his previous work, 'Why Liberalism Failed', and suggests a strategic formation of a new elite devoted to 'pre-postmodern conservatism' and the common good, particularly attentive to the voice and status of the working class.
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Ideas have consequences
Richard Weaver
In 'Ideas Have Consequences,' Richard M. Weaver argues that the decline of Western civilization is a result of the increasing acceptance of relativism over absolute reality.
Despite advancements in knowledge, this shift away from the realist intellectual tradition has weakened Western society's capacity for reason, leading to catastrophic consequences for social order and individual rights.
Weaver proposes a remedy in the renewed acceptance of absolute reality and the recognition that ideas, like actions, have consequences.
The book also includes a foreword by Roger Kimball and an afterword by Ted J. Smith III, providing additional context and insights into Weaver's work and its historical significance.
#1074
• Mentioned in 27 episodes
Why Liberalism Failed
Patrick J. Deneen
In 'Why Liberalism Failed,' Patrick J. Deneen critiques both classical liberalism (often called libertarianism) and progressive/modern liberalism.
He argues that liberalism has created contradictions such as fostering material inequality despite advocating for equal rights, discouraging civic commitments in favor of privatism, and giving rise to a comprehensive state system while pursuing individual autonomy.
Deneen contends that liberalism's success is generating its own failure, leading to issues like income inequality, cultural decline, atomization, and the erosion of freedoms.
The book examines the outcomes of the growth of the state, the construction of the free market, and the effects of technology on freedoms and culture.
Can a faithful Catholic truly be a libertarian? Patrick Deneen joins Conor Gallagher for a riveting takedown of one of the most seductive lies in modern politics. In this powerful conversation, Deneen exposes how both left and right libertarianism—born of the same liberal root—have poisoned our culture, eroded the family, and hollowed out the soul of the West. He reveals how the obsession with “freedom” without virtue leads not to flourishing, but to fragmentation, isolation, and despair.
From the collapse of community and the rise of elite disconnection to the spiritual emptiness of consumerism, this episode confronts the political and moral decay shaping our times. Deneen calls for a radical return to faith, prayer, and the common good—anchored in a mixed constitution that restores balance between leaders and ordinary people.
Prepare for a thought-provoking challenge to everything you think you know about politics, freedom, and what it means to live as a Catholic in the modern world.
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CHAPTERS
- 00:01 Trailer
- 05:53 Public Awakening Post-COVID
- 08:42 Synthesis of Left and Right Ideologies
- 11:02 Political Orders and Human Nature
- 14:23 The Evolution of Liberal Order
- 18:22 Consumerism as a Societal Philosophy
- 21:32 Transgenderism and the Limits of Liberal Freedom
- 24:04 Theological Underpinnings of Modern Political Movements
- 27:38 The Illusion of Conservatism in a Liberal Framework
- 30:24 Community Values vs. Market Logic
- 34:55 Populism as a Reaction to Market Liberalism
- 37:51 The Role of Education in Political Divides
- 41:10 Despotism vs. Anarchy in Political Orders
- 44:48 Elites and Their Disconnect from Society
- 50:15 The Revolt of the Elites and Its Implications
- 53:44 Noblesse Oblige: The Duty of the Elite
- 57:06 The Body of Christ: Unity in Diversity
- 1:00:23 Elitism and the Disconnect from Ordinary Citizens
- 1:06:00 Expertise vs. Common Sense
- 1:11:52 Understanding the Common Good
- 1:20:08 Property Ownership and Community Investment
- 1:25:26 Family Management Insights
- 1:28:08 Introducing Aristopopulism
- 1:33:14 The Need for a Mixed Constitution
- 1:37:46 The Importance of Prayer in Society
- 1:41:45 Exploring The Angelus Artwork
- 1:44:45 Cultural Reflections in Media
- 1:47:09 Rethinking Religious Liberty
#libertarianism #catholicchurch #catholicfaith #politics #podcast #capitalism