New Books in Critical Theory

Gabriele Badano and Alasia Nuti, "Politicizing Political Liberalism: On the Containment of Illiberal and Antidemocratic Views" (Oxford UP, 2024)

Jan 9, 2025

Alasia Nuti, a Senior Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of York, discusses her co-authored work on political liberalism. She explores the dynamics of containing illiberal views in democratic societies, emphasizing the balance between inclusion and core values. The conversation delves into the rise of right-wing populism and the responsibilities of citizens in defending democracy. Nuti highlights the role of social media in democratic backsliding and advocates for a proactive approach to uphold liberal ideals in contemporary political discourse.

01:04:07

Episode guests

Alasia Nuti

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Political liberalism prioritizes equal rights, recognizing the distinction between reasonable and unreasonable disagreements to maintain democratic legitimacy.

Municipalities and ordinary citizens play critical roles in resisting illiberal views and promoting democratic values through proactive engagement and local governance.

Deep dives

Understanding Political Liberalism

Political liberalism is defined as a framework that emphasizes equal rights and opportunities for all citizens, prioritizing these elements within a pluralistic society. It begins with the premise that disagreement is a natural human condition, acknowledging that individuals will have different views even when well-informed. This framework distinguishes between reasonable disagreements, which can coexist within a liberal society, and unreasonable disagreements, which threaten the legitimacy of democratic institutions. By emphasizing public reason, political liberalism requires that political arguments be accessible to all who value freedom and equality, rather than relying on specific moral or religious doctrines.

Intro

2min

Exploring the Roots of Illiberalism and Democratic Backsliding

3min

Navigating Political Liberalism

13min

Exploring the Dynamics of Political Containment and Public Reason

4min

Navigating Rights and Reason in Society

10min

The Duty of Pressure: Defending Democracy

26min

Exploring the Intersection of Social Media and Democratic Backsliding

3min

How should broadly liberal democratic societies stop illiberal and antidemocratic views from gaining influence while honouring liberal democratic values? This question has become particularly pressing after the recent successes of right-wing populist leaders and parties across Europe, in the US, and beyond. Politicizing Political Liberalism: On the Containment of Illiberal and Antidemocratic Views (Oxford University Press, 2024) by Alasia Nuti and Gabriele Badano develops a normative account of liberal democratic self-defence that denounces the failures of real-world societies without excusing those supporting illiberal and antidemocratic political actors. This account is innovative in focusing not only on the role of the state but also on the duties of nonstate actors including citizens, partisans, and municipalities. Consequently, it also addresses cases where the central government has at least been partly captured by illiberal and antidemocratic agents. Gabriele Badano and Alasia Nuti's approach builds on John Rawls's treatment of political liberalism and his awareness of the need to 'contain' unreasonable views, that is, views denying that society should treat every person as free and equal through a mutually acceptable system of social cooperation where pluralism is to be expected. The authors offer original solutions to vexed problems within political liberalism by putting forward a new account of the relation between ideal and non-ideal theory, explaining why it is justifiable to exclude unreasonable persons from the constituency of public reason, and showing that the strictures of public reason do not apply to those suffering from severe injustice. In doing so, the book further politicizes political liberalism and turns it into a framework that can insightfully respond to the challenges of real politics.

Alasia Nuti is senior Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of York. Her work is situated at the intersection of analytical political theory, critical theory, gender studies and critical race theory

Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory