What the Cold War Did to Liberalism (w/ Samuel Moyn)
Sep 5, 2023
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Historian Samuel Moyn discusses how liberalism shifted during the Cold War, its connection to the conservative movement, and the rise of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism. The podcast explores the impact of teleological historicism and Christian theology on Cold War liberalism, as well as the influence of Freudianism. They also address the concept of hope in liberalism and leftism.
The Cold War led to a deformation of liberalism, with intellectuals embracing fatalism and a narrow conception of freedom.
The rejection of historicism by Cold War liberals undermined the belief in progress and a future shaped by human agency.
Freudian psychology influenced Cold War liberalism, resulting in a more cautious approach to politics and a focus on managing aggression rather than transformative change.
Deep dives
Cold War liberalism and the abandonment of enlightenment
This podcast episode explores the phenomenon of Cold War liberalism and its abandonment of the enlightenment values that had initially inspired the liberal movement. The episode highlights how the fear of Soviet communism led many Cold War liberals to distance themselves from the emancipatory goals and forward-looking mindset of earlier liberalism. Figures like Gertrude Himmelfarb and Lionel Trilling are discussed as examples of intellectuals who redefined liberalism to prioritize caution, limit ambition, and embrace a pessimistic view of human nature. This shift in ideology had significant consequences for the future of liberalism and its disconnect from the welfare state achievements of the time.
The influence of historicism and the rejection of progress
Another key theme in the episode is the influence of Karl Popper and his rejection of historicism on Cold War liberalism. Popper's categorization of historicism as a teleological approach that leads to totalitarianism contributed to the distancing of liberals from the belief in progress and the forward march of history. By associating historicism with thinkers like Hegel and Marx, liberals abandoned the idea of a future shaped by human agency and instead embraced a more cautious and fatalistic worldview. The episode delves into the consequences of this rejection of progress and its impact on the liberal agenda.
The role of Freudian psychology in Cold War liberalism
Freudian psychology, particularly in the works of Lionel Trilling, is explored as a major influence on Cold War liberalism. Trilling's interpretation of Freud, which emphasized the reality of human aggression and the limitations it imposes on societal change, became the foundation for a more pessimistic and cautious approach to politics. This perspective viewed social change as ineffective in altering innate human tendencies and led to a focus on managing aggression rather than striving for radical transformation. The episode raises questions about the role of Freudian psychology in shaping the political landscape and its impact on the potential for transformative change.
The Influence of Cold War Liberalism and its Mismatch with Liberal Practices
Cold War liberal theorists failed to account for the emancipatory nature of the states they built, resulting in a mismatch between liberal theory and practice. As John Rawls attempted to correct this, his ideas were out of sync as neo-liberalism gained prominence. Rawls' famous difference principle, which aimed for egalitarianism, has not been as institutionalized as it was before his theory of justice was published.
The Role of Totalitarianism and the Influence of Rousseau
The concept of totalitarianism played a significant role in the discourse of Cold War liberals. Rousseau was often blamed for the French Revolution, which was then claimed by the Soviets, leading to him being seen as the first communist and whipping boy for all forms of totalitarianism. However, this narrative overlooks the inspirational role Rousseau and the French Revolution played for liberals in the 19th century. Understanding the popular discourse around past philosophers allows us to see how traditions change in their priorities philosophically and in practice.
In his provocative new book, Liberalism Against Itself, historian Samuel Moyn revisits the work of five key Cold War thinkers—Judith Shklar, Isaiah Berlin, Karl Popper, Gertrude Himmelfarb, and Lionel Trilling—to explain the deformation of liberalism in the middle of the twentieth century, a time when, in his telling, liberals abandoned their commitment to progress, the Enlightenment, and grand dreams of emancipation and instead embraced fatalism, pessimism, and a narrow conception of freedom. For Moyn, the liberalism that emerged from the Cold War is, lamentably, still with us—a culprit in the rise of Donald Trump, and a barrier to offering a compelling alternative to him.
