Making the Argument with Nick Freitas What should the Right Want w/ James Lindsay
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Nov 6, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, James Lindsay, an expert on wokeness and founder of New Discourses, dives deep into what the Right truly should strive for. He breaks down classical liberalism's relevance in today's digital world and critiques ideological influences on institutions. James argues for the universality of truth, justice, and love, all while defending the importance of religious liberty. He warns against complacency in the face of wokeism and emphasizes education reform as the frontline in this ideological battle.
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Restore Classical American Liberalism
- James Lindsay argues classical American liberalism (Locke + common-sense realism) best secures universal principles like equality before the law.
- He views restoring consistent application of those principles as a 25-year repair project, not a quick fix.
Three Enlightenment Traditions Matter
- Lindsay distinguishes three Enlightenment strands: Hobbesian, Lockean/common-sense, and Rousseauian, warning Rousseauian romanticism leads to continental liberationism.
- He says continental liberalism's imagination-driven politics fuels totalizing movements like Marxism and modern woke ideology.
Negative Idealism Drives Purity Politics
- Lindsay describes critical theory as 'negative idealism' that knows only what it rejects, driving purity spirals and perpetual purges.
- That absence of a positive vision transforms reform into endless witch hunts and ideological totalism.
