The Myth of Left and Right: Caplan and Hanson Interview the Lewis Brothers
Aug 21, 2023
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The Lewis brothers challenge the essentialist view of left and right in politics, advocating for a social view. They discuss the concept of tribalism and its harmful effects. The podcast explores the limitations of the left-right spectrum and the evolving nature of political positions. They also discuss affirmative action for conservatives in academia and the importance of intellectual diversity.
The essentialist theory of ideology oversimplifies politics by reducing it to a single issue associated with liberalism and conservatism.
The left-right framework in politics ignores the diversity of issue positions within parties and leads to false assumptions.
Ideological tribalism can hinder productive political discourse and should be redirected towards healthier groups like civic organizations and religions.
Individuals should adopt a more nuanced and issue-based approach to politics, recognizing the incoherence of political ideologies and focusing on specific policy positions instead.
Deep dives
Book background and authors' credentials
The Lewis brothers introduce their book 'The Myth of Left and Right' and discuss their professional backgrounds in history and political science.
Essentialist theory of ideology
The essentialist theory of ideology suggests that there is only one issue in politics, with liberalism being associated with progress and conservatism with conservation. The Lewis brothers argue that this theory is false and that it oversimplifies the complex issues and positions within politics.
Critique of left-right framework
The Lewis brothers criticize the left-right framework, arguing that it leads to false assumptions and totalizing views. They assert that using this framework to analyze politics ignores the nuances and diversity of issue positions within parties.
Importance of recognizing tribal bias
The authors highlight the dangers of ideological tribalism in politics, which can lead to hostility and closed-mindedness. They suggest redirecting tribal tendencies to healthier groups like civic organizations and religions.
Proposed solution and conclusion
The Lewis brothers encourage individuals to move beyond the left-right framework and adopt a more nuanced and issue-based approach to politics. They argue for a recognition of the incoherence of political ideologies and a focus on specific policy positions instead.
The Essence of Ideologies
This podcast episode explores the concept of essence and its application to ideologies such as conservatism and liberalism. The hosts discuss how some ideologies, like Christianity and Islam, have certain essences rooted in their core beliefs, while others, like conservatism and liberalism, lack essential characteristics. They debate whether true conservatives or true liberals even exist, highlighting the fluidity and diverse interpretations within these ideologies. The hosts also examine how different groups rationalize their beliefs by selectively interpreting religious texts or political philosophies. They argue that conservative and liberal identities are upheld by narratives or fairy tales, allowing individuals to justify their policy preferences. The discussion further delves into the implications of essentialism in ideologies and the challenges of achieving a greater diversity of thought in academia.
The Left-Right Spectrum and Social Constructions
The second main theme in this podcast episode centers around the left-right spectrum and its implications. The hosts question the usefulness and accuracy of categorizing political ideologies into a binary framework. They argue that the left-right spectrum assumes a unidimensional continuum that oversimplifies the complexities of political beliefs. The conversation touches on how left and right ideologies have evolved over time, and how different societies perceive these terms. The hosts also draw parallels between gender identities and political ideologies, exploring the nature vs. nurture debate. They discuss the tension between essentialism and social construction when it comes to gender, highlighting that while male and female essences are rooted in biology, masculine and feminine identities are more socially constructed concepts. The hosts acknowledge the challenge of political labels and the difficulty of achieving a balanced representation of diverse ideologies in academia.
Brothers Hyrum Lewis (BYU – Idaho) and Verlan Lewis (Utah Valley University)’s new *The Myth of Left and Right* attacks the “essentialist” view that “left” and “right” are coherent political philosophies in favor of a “social” view that “left” and “right” are incoherent bundles of issue positions. In this interview, Bryan Caplan and Robin Hanson find much common ground with the Lewis brothers, but still find some residual merit in the essentialist view. Hanson analogizes ideology to gender identity: Some features of gender are social, but are all of them?! Caplan maintains that the social theory is 85% true, but the authors stick with 100%.
Also: Should there be affirmative action for right-wing academics?
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