Political Philosophy

What led to this? A Longer View (ft. Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, Wendy Brown) Audio

Jan 9, 2021

Thinkers and philosophers Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, and Wendy Brown discuss the bigger picture behind recent events, exploring concepts like technique, neoliberalism's impact on government and personal lives, and the appeal of populism.

15:54

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Episode guests

Wendy Brown

Sheldon Wolin

Jacques Ellul

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Neoliberalism blurs the distinction between the state and corporations, transforming the government into a technical and managerial entity that governs all aspects of life.

The dominance of neoliberalism leads to ideological possession, with followers embracing individual freedom and economic expansion, while disillusionment fuels the rise of populist movements.

Deep dives

Neoliberalism and Inverted Totalitarianism

The podcast episode explores Wendy Brown's concept of neo-liverism, where she argues that technical progress has become the driving force in all areas of life, including those with no direct economic impact. Brown suggests that the state has transformed into a technical and managerial entity, managing not only the economy but also education, child-rearing, and mental health. This convergence of corporate and government power blurs the distinction between the two, creating a managerial democracy or inverted totalitarianism. Neoliberalism is identified as the governing rationality driving this shift, whereby every sphere of life is seen as a market and every entity is governed as a firm, with individuals treated as human capital.

Introduction

3min

Neoliberalism's Impact on Government and Everyday Life

4min

The Influence of Data and Neoliberalism on Personal Lives and Ideological Possession

2min

The Manipulation of True Believers and the Emergence of a Second Ideological Possession

3min

The Appeal of Populism and the Metaphor of the Red Pill

3min

In the wake of the events of the past week, most notably Trump supporters storming the Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, I encourage viewers to take a bit of a step back and to consider the bigger picture. If we cannot attempt to see that bigger picture using a longer view we will be doomed to repeat our mistakes. Can we look past the outrage felt by so many to ask the question “What led us to this point?” If we can, we will take the first step towards fixing the problem, rather than either making it worse or simply putting a bandaid on it. In this reading of a section of Chapter 6 of my book Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right, I build on the thoughts of Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, and Wendy Brown.

Link to the book: https://www.routledge.com/Ideological-Possession-and-the-Rise-of-the-New-Right-The-Political-Thought/Johnson/p/book/9781138082113

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iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/