The book delves into the 'unconsummated social courtship' between Jews and gentiles, focusing on the predicament of Jews caught between their traditional, intimate community (Yiddishkeit) and the formal, polite expectations of gentile society. Cuddihy argues that the fundamental cultural norm of modernity is the politeness and formality required in interactions with strangers, which posed significant challenges for Jews moving out of Eastern European shtetls into modern European societies. The book also examines how the theories of Freud, Marx, and Lévi-Strauss were influenced by their Jewish backgrounds and the struggle with assimilation[2][3][5].
In 'The Jewish Century', Yuri Slezkine presents a provocative thesis that Jews have adapted exceptionally well to modern life, becoming the premier symbols and standards of modernity. He categorizes Jews as 'Mercurians'—service nomads who provide crucial services such as money-lending, medicine, and trade—contrasting them with 'Apollonians,' the host societies traditionally devoted to agriculture and war. The book explores the role of Russian Jews in modernity, their involvement in the Soviet Union, and their impact on movements such as Marxism and Freudianism. Slezkine argues that modernity has transformed 'Apollonians' into 'Mercurians,' making the Jewish experience somewhat universal and emblematic of modern life[2][4][5].
In this book, Francis Fukuyama posits that human history is moving towards a state of idealized harmony through the mechanisms of liberal democracy. He argues that liberal democracy is the final form of human government, driven by two powerful forces: the logic of modern science and the struggle for recognition. Fukuyama draws on the philosophical ideas of Hegel and Kojeve, suggesting that liberal democracy meets the economic and psychological needs of humanity, including the desire for recognition and dignity. The book explores the implications of this thesis, including the potential paradox that the satisfaction of basic needs might lead to a lack of outlets for human striving and recognition[2][3][5].
In 'Hillbilly Elegy,' J.D. Vance recounts his life growing up in a dysfunctional family in Middletown, Ohio, with roots in Kentucky's Appalachia. The book details his experiences with poverty, addiction, and family violence, as well as his journey to joining the marines and eventually graduating from Yale Law School. Vance provides a personal and insightful look into the decline of the white working class in America, exploring themes of family, culture, and the loss of the American dream. The memoir also touches on the political swing of the region, particularly in relation to the 2016 presidential election and the appeal of Donald Trump to this demographic.
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1:21 Have Glenn’s intellectual shifts been misread?
5:45 Danny: Francis Fukuyama was right
10:30 Capitalism won. Is that a good thing?
14:18 The climate under capitalism
20:24 Danny: “People said 'f**k you' to the Democratic Party”
23:51 Why the “Trump is a fascist” argument makes no sense
27:53 Whither the working class coalition?
33:10 How the US foreign policy establishment won the argument and lost Ukraine
36:28 Danny: There is no way the US can maintain influence in East Asia
38:26 Does Jewish survival require a Jewish state?
43:50 The limits of social science
49:36 The media’s obsession with polling
53:55 Is the US reaping what it’s sown on immigration?52:34 Is the US reaping what it’s sown on immigration?
Recorded November 9, 2024
Links and Readings
Dann’s podcast, American Prestige
Danny’s conversations with Glenn about his intellectual history, parts 1, 2, 3, and 4
Francis Fukuyama’s Financial Times piece, “What Trump Unleashed Means for America”
Danny’s Nation essay, “The Liberal Discontents of Francis Fukuyama”
Adam Tooze’s podcast, Ones & Tooze
Danny’s Harper’s essay, “The Life and Death of Hollywood”
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’s manifesto, The Communist Manifesto
Danny’s Harper’s essay, “Empire Burlesque”
Danny’s Boston Review piece, “Mass Destruction”
Glenn’s recent conversation with Rajiv Sethi
JD Vance’s book, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
John Murray Cuddihy’s book, The Ordeal of Civilization: Freud, Marx, Lévi-Strauss, and the Jewish Struggle with Modernity
Yuri Slezkine’s book, The Jewish Century
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