EP25: Is Liberal Socialism an Oxymoron? (On Matt McManus’ Liberal Socialism)

In this episode, we dive into Matt McManus’ The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism and ask whether the fusion of liberalism and socialism makes sense – or if it’s just a contradiction in terms. McManus argues that liberal values like individual rights and democracy can be reconciled with socialist commitments to economic justice. But not everyone buys it.

Critics from the Marxist left see liberalism as a bourgeois ideology that ultimately serves capitalist interests, making true socialism impossible within its framework. Meanwhile, libertarians argue that socialism is inherently coercive and incompatible with liberal freedoms. Even within mainstream liberal thought, there’s skepticism about how much economic redistribution is too much before it undermines individual autonomy and market efficiency.

Is there a viable middle path, or is liberal socialism just wishful thinking? Let’s find out.

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