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Exploring


** History, Philosophy, & Politics
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Essays, articles, and books on important topics and events in U.S. history


** Are Critics of Liberal Democracy Right?
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JMC fellow Daniel Burns discusses liberal practice vs. liberal theory on Jonah Goldberg's podcast, The Remnant

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Syndicated political commentator Jonah Goldberg, who recently wrote on JMC fellow Daniel Burns’s article in National Affairs ([link removed]) , recorded a podcast with Professor Burns for his series, The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg.

Professor Burns argues that critics of classical liberalism (on both the left and the right) focus too much on political theory and too little on how liberal democracy has actually been put into practice in America.

Visit The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg >> ([link removed])
Audio and video of the podcast are available on Stitcher and Apple Podcasts.
Visit Stitcher ([link removed]) and Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) to hear more >>

Liberal Practice vs. Liberal Theory"

National Affairs - Fall 2019 Issue
This fall, Daniel Burns wrote a piece on the definition of liberalism for National Affairs ([link removed]) :

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…Liberalism’s defenders, for their part, often feel themselves in the position of the theologian confronted with an atheist: The “liberalism” they hear attacked is one that they, too, do not believe in. Thus the parties have often been talking past each other, and not only because of an above-average amount of strawmanning on both sides. What one party sincerely regards as its clinching argument will seem a trivial observation to the other, and vice versa.
Many good-faith misunderstandings within these debates can be traced to an ambiguity in the term “liberalism.” It refers, on the one hand, to a set of political practices, and on the other hand, to a political theory that purports to explain those practices. Defenders of liberalism are thinking first and foremost about liberal political practice, which they (almost all) defend by drawing selectively on liberal theory. Critics of liberalism are thinking first and foremost about liberal political theory, which they (almost all) attack by pointing selectively to liberal practice.

These attacks and these defenses [of liberalism] share a common error. Both accept liberal theory’s false claim to be the authoritative interpreter of liberal practice. The critics of liberalism are right to see liberal theory as fatally flawed: It cannot explain the workings of any real human society. But precisely because it is so flawed, liberal theory also cannot explain the weaknesses of our own liberal societies.

If we are to have a productive conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary liberal politics, a crucial first step will be learning to talk about liberal practice without relying on liberal theory…

Click here to read the entire article at National Affairs >> ([link removed])


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About the Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission to reinvigorate education in America's founding principles and history. We work to advance the teaching and study of America's history, its political and economic institutions, and the central principles, ideas and issues arising from the American and Western traditions—all of which continue to animate our national life.

We support professors and educators through programs, resources, fellowships and more to help them teach our nation's students.
www.jackmillercenter.org

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