The Auron MacIntyre Show Liberalism's Epistemological Meltdown | 4/17/25
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Apr 17, 2025 The discussion dives into the roots of liberalism and its current crises, highlighting the gradual erosion of trust in institutions. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perceptions of expertise is a focal point, raising concerns about reliance on neutral authority. There's a call for introspection among elites as they face growing skepticism. As the potential collapse of traditional frameworks looms, new ways of understanding truth and expertise are urgently needed.
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Liberalism's Neutrality Ideal
- Liberalism sought to remove politics from the political, suppressing passions that lead to conflict.
- It created neutral institutions to distribute power and impose universal standards, claiming to be the only source of truth.
Experts as New Priests
- Managerial liberalism turned experts into a new priestly caste empowered by economic growth.
- Prosperity silenced dissent as long as institutions maintained credibility and promises were kept.
Crisis of Institutional Credibility
- Institutions and experts are not truly neutral or infallible; rulers eroded credibility for political gain.
- This degradation came to a head during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing public distrust in expert truth claims.