The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command [Paperback]

James Kalb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

When it comes to liberalism, the usual story in postwar America is one of decline, accompanied by the subplot of conservatism’s ascendance. But take a longer view—look beyond and below politics—and it is the unchallenged triumph of liberalism and its philosophical assumptions that ought to command our attention.

The triumph of liberalism means the tyranny of liberalism, explains James Kalb in this illuminating book, for liberalism is the extension into the sociopolitical realm of modern scientific thought and technological rationality. These modes of thinking are regarded by nearly everyone today as uniquely authoritative; those institutions and beliefs which do not conform are regarded at best as annoyances, and at worst as evil. Furthermore, Kalb shows how liberalism is an expression of the interests and outlook of commercial and managerial elites, who are suspicious of less rationalized and controllable forms of social organization like the family.

Kalb does not merely rehearse a tale of woe, nor is he content simply to analyze the current situation. With reference to concrete issues such as the debate surrounding same-sex marriage, he outlines the kind of traditionalist response to liberalism that is likely to be most effective. He argues that traditional, decentralized, and nonliberal forms of social organization are ultimately impossible to eradicate, and he shows how more human forms of association than those favored by liberalism might once again be brought into being.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The title of this book may seem oxymoronic, which testifies to how completely the regime of freedom and equality that liberalism claims to be has triumphed over other sociopolitical ideas. But the equal freedom liberalism has brought is essentially the right to shop among goods, services, and “lifestyles.” The right to care about anything—family, neighborhood, church, heritage, and the truths about human nature and existence they express—except the economic-political regime, however, has shriveled under the onslaught of unelected management. Religion is judicially quarantined and separated from citizenship, state agencies assume familial functions, careerism undermines community, education becomes more vocational and less humane, and obligatory tolerance truncates public conversation. Meanwhile, epidemic psychological depression, uncontainable crime, endless warfare, and ever-increasing concentration of wealth indicate that liberalism’s consumer paradise is far from perfect—indeed, will and must collapse. Without any specialist jargon, reams of statistics, or heavy-handed anecdotes, Kalb makes us see how all the ills of liberalism logically proceed from its deliberate philosophical poverty. Preparatory to liberalism’s demise, he suggests adopting a traditionalist outlook and resuming the loyalties and the functions liberal hegemony has tried so hard to suppress and usurp. Slow reading, perhaps, but vital and vitalizing. --Ray Olson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

An outstanding contribution to political philosophy.... Those in search of a revitalized American conservatism will find The Tyranny of Liberalism essential reading. --David Gordon, The American Conservative (November 17, 2008)

James Kalb's new book is distinguished by remarkable comprehensiveness and a refreshing freedom from rancor. It is an excellent resource ... and those steeped in it will commend Kalb's clarity. --Stefan McDaniel, First Things

The roots, reach, and results of liberalism are inspected with consummate precision ... His clarifying, commanding work ... presents bottom-up solutions for the restoration of a noble, humane society. --Mary McWay Seaman, New Oxford Review

The work of an imaginative conservative who offers frank criticism and expresses the truth about authentic values and the permanent things with notable clarity, unusual insight, and welcome eloquence. --Carl Olson, Catholic World Report

[It] falls into the genre of resistance literature ... This wide-ranging, ambitious, lawyerly brief against the regnant liberal consensus in America is powerful and effective because of its spirit of urgent dismay. --R.R. Reno, Intercollegiate Review

"The title of this book may seem oxymoronic, which testifies to how completely the regime of freedom and equality that liberalism claims to be has triumphed over other sociopolitical ideas. . . . Without any specialist jargon, reams of statistics, or heavy-handed anecdotes, Kalb makes us see how all the ills of liberalism logically proceed from its deliberate philosophical poverty. Preparatory to liberalism's demise, he suggests adopting a traditionalist outlook and resuming the loyalties and the functions liberal hegemony has tried so hard to suppress and usurp."— Ray Olson Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: Intercollegiate Studies Institute; 2 edition (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933859822
• ISBN-13: 978-1933859828
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Kalb comes by his interest in political theory naturally, through politically active parents and degrees in mathematics and law (Dartmouth B.A., Yale J.D.). His parents showed him the importance of participation, mathematics showed him the importance of how principles are stated, and law taught him to study decisions to find the principles behind them. His writing explores the nature of liberal political society--what it is, what is wrong with it, why it seems so incontestable, what to do about it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding, thoughtful, and clear defense of liberty, January 8, 2009

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Cressida (SAUNDERSTOWN, RI, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command (Paperback)

I had the honor of listening to and meeting the author of "Tyranny of Liberalism," James Kalb, at a recent ISI conference held at Yale University. Kalb shared the stage with several other prominent thinkers - some were entertaining, all were intelligent, but there was something about the quite intensity of his mind that I found engaging. I purchased the book, ran home, and read it cover to cover. I have been teaching political philosophy at the university level now for over 8 years and I can honestly say that "Tyranny of Liberalism" is one of the best books written on the challenges facing education, security, and freedom. I do not wish to give away too much of the book, but I will say that ISI is to be commended for publishing this important book and Kalb is to be honored for his courage to challenge the dogmatic relativism (how is that for hypocrisy?) of the left and the corrosive acid they pepper on our cherished beliefs in morality and civil liberties on a daily basis. The writing is clear; it is like looking through a clean sheet of glass without evening being aware of it; the arguments are tightly reasoned. He is never preachy, just rational and pragmatic. For those considering this book the best comparison to it that I can think of is Roger Scruton meets Tocqueville. Buy this book, you will not regret it.
The publisher should offer a few sample pages for preview!

38 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important Reflections on the Nature of Liberalism and the Rule of Technocrats., February 9, 2009

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New Age of Barbarism "zosimos" (EVROPA.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command (Paperback)

_The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command_, published in 2008 by ISI Books, by author James Kalb is an important book which offers some very edifying reflections on the nature and tyranny of liberalism and the rule of the technocratic elite. As Kalb notes, liberalism is really the ideology of a ruling class and in today's world it has become virtually all-consuming. Any and all public opposition to the dictates of liberalism is instantly stifled and dismissed in various ways as bigotry, intolerance, or outright psychological instability. Nevertheless, there exist real and profound reasons why one should reject this reigning ideology and real and profound reasons why it has largely failed. However, given the political climate and the near total control of all mainstream institutions by liberals it has become impossible to offer any sort of real opposition to it. Kalb sees hope however in decentralized efforts at overcoming liberalism, small enclaves of opposition thinkers, private scholars, small businessmen, and religious and local communities may remain the last resistance against this powerful ideology. However, the fact that within mainstream discourse liberalism is regarded as synonymous with such obviously apparent and self-evident goods as freedom, tolerance, and equality indicates how far of an uphill battle it must be in opposing it. Despite this, as Kalb effectively lays out and has become apparent to many individuals, liberalism is profoundly unfree, intolerant, and unequal. This book manages to not only show the glaring deficits in liberalism, but also offers some alternatives and ways to oppose the system.

In his "Introduction", Kalb explains what he means by "the tyranny of liberalism". He asserts that liberalism is ubiquitous and to many the notion that it may be tyrannical is incomprehensible. Nevertheless, he seeks to show that liberalism is indeed tyrannical and that there may be alternatives to it. Part 1 of this book is entitled "Decline and Fall". The first chapter is entitled "Liberal Tyranny" and explains how liberalism has become tyrannical and what this notion really means. Kalb explains how many see liberals as high-minded and idealistic and broad-minded but that they really are none of these things. Rather liberalism has become tyrannical and has done great damage to the traditional understanding human beings have had of themselves. The rise of political correctness, bureaucracy, the reign of money and expertise all speak to this tyrannical nature of liberalism. The second chapter is entitled "Principles" and here Kalb lays out the principles of liberalism and how it has managed to triumph in the West. Kalb considers the alternatives to liberalism including populism, Islamic fundamentalism, East Asian authoritarianism, and Marxism and fascism all of which have either failed in the West or have never existed in the West. Kalb then explains the nature of liberalism tracing the philosophy that began with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke to its further development and culmination in John Rawls. Kalb considers the development of liberalism, its growth from the High Middle Ages through the Protestant Reformation to the American and French revolutions and to the modern day. Kalb considers the maturity of liberalism in the modern day secular West and the transformation of liberalism from classical liberalism with its emphasis on small government and private property and liberty to modern day political correctness which has become big-government and totalitarian. Kalb also considers the relationship between liberalism and power noting the role of technocracy and the importance of market, bureaucratic, and industrial forms of organization as opposed to decentralized forms such as the family. Kalb also considers the importance of rationality for liberalism including in particular the importance of scientific rationality and subjectivism, but notes that some leftists have embraced irrationality. The third chapter is entitled "Institutions" and here Kalb considers the rise of liberal institutions. Kalb considers the development of liberalism noting the role of multiculturalism, scientism and tolerance, tolerance and social control, the rise of global capitalism, and the false notion of liberal "human rights". Kalb also considers non-liberal institutions noting how liberals dismiss such institutions as fostering discrimination and bigotry when in fact they frequently are far more tolerant than liberal institutions. Kalb also considers a comparison with other regimes noting how liberalism is really the ideology of a ruling class, a technocratic elite, and the "Fourth Estate", while contrasting liberalism with its traditional enemies in the West such as the Catholic church, though noting how in recent times much of Catholicism has been co-opted by liberalism as well. The fourth chapter is entitled "Through the Looking Glass" and explains how liberal institutions frequently lead to results which are quite opposed to their stated aims. Kalb considers such things as a reversal of meanings, positive neutrality, forced consent, and censorship as freedom. Following this, Kalb examines the notion of secular theocracy, noting how liberalism behaves as a religion with a persecutory zeal. Kalb also considers the notion of the universal individual and the destruction of identity within liberalism as well as the fundamental contradictions of liberalism. The fifth chapter is entitled "Are Objections to Liberalism Overstated?" and considers the claim by many liberals that liberalism is "limited" and therefore that the objections do not really apply. However, Kalb considers such things as the fact that ideas have consequences, fine-tuning of liberalism, dubious gains made by liberalism, the triumph of tolerance, and the fact that liberalism is not limited and has crept increasingly towards tyranny. The sixth chapter is entitled "Irrationality and Self-Destruction" and here Kalb shows that liberalism is fundamentally irrational and contains the seeds of its own demise. Kalb considers such issues as the insufficiency of liberalism, the rise of scientism, questions about the "good", and the rise of hedonism, and finally the twilight of liberalism. Part 2 of this book is entitled "Up From Tyranny". The seventh chapter is entitled "Blind Alleys" and considers some of the possible responses to liberalism and their failures. Kalb considers the possibility of leftist responses to liberalism including the leftist response of radicalization of liberalism, an appeal to irrationalism, or the abandonment of justice altogether. Kalb also rejects the possibility of a "third way". Kalb then considers the possibility of a "simple conservativism", and conservativism in America which is fundamentally a compromise with liberalism and an appeal to the Founding Fathers. Kalb considers such possibilities for conservativism as constitutionalism, neoconservativism, libertarianism, populism, and religious conservativism. He finds each of these problematic in its own way, yet notes that such principles as constitutionalism, libertarianism, and especially populism seem to offer some hope for resistance against liberalism. Kalb notes that what is fundamentally needed is conservative thinkers who can offset the balance of liberalism which populism must fundamentally lack. The eighth chapter is entitled "Putting It Back Together" and considers the relationship between reason and tradition. Kalb considers such topics as the role of reason, the failure of scientism, the importance of tradition, the notion of universals and stereotypes, and the importance of justice. The ninth chapter is entitled "Faith and Authority" and explains the importance of faith. Kalb considers such things as the role of faith and the threat to faith of modern secular liberalism, the role of the church (which has become increasingly co-opted by liberalism), and the relationship between church and state. The tenth chapter is entitled "Bringing It All Back Home" and makes the important case for traditionalism. Kalb considers the possibility of traditionalism, a traditionalist movement, the possibility for local action, and offers some demands that the traditionalist can make of liberal society. These demands show how fundamentally unjust the liberal society actually is. The eleventh chapter is entitled "Looking Forward". Kalb explains that the immediate outlook for traditionalism is bad, but that liberalism appears to have exhausted its possibilities. Kalb calls for decentralized action as an effort to formulate and provide an alternative to liberalism that may be taken up once it becomes apparent that liberalism as a system has failed.

This book offers some profound and important observations on the role of liberalism and the tyranny that has evolved from such a state of affairs. Kalb makes the case that liberalism is in fact neither tolerant nor free as it claims but increasingly comes to assume tyrannical proportions. While recognizing that the immediate situation looks grim, Kalb offers some hope for alternatives which may eventually come to replace liberalism as it becomes more apparent that it has failed to achieve its aims. As such this book offers some very useful and important reflections for those who are different and recognize the fundamental flaw of liberalism.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, June 14, 2009

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Scott - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command (Paperback)

At times frightening, this book certainly rings true. Far from the modern political pundits, this book dives deeper into human nature and natural law. Many other reviewers have already done an excellent job in describing the work, so I will save some time and merely say that for the true intellectual conservative, this is a must read.