Liberalism and the two roads to nihilism

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/hutchison/070307 ^ | March 7, 2007 | Fred Hutchison, RA analyst

[svcw]

Leo Strauss (1899–1973), the father of Neoconservatism, predicted that liberalism must give way to relativism and that relativism must eventually give way to nihilism. My last essay discussed the world view of liberalism and the intellectual and psychological causes of its decline. This essay will introduce the subject of nihilism and track the two main routes by which liberals can change into nihilists.

[svcw]

This long but well worth the read and thought. I found it to be fascinating.

[SumProVita]

This is an excellent treatment of basic philosophical thought. For me, it highlights the fact that we really have no NEW, progressive ways of thinking....but rather, are often victims of various OLD, heresies that have been semi-disguised in new clothes.

Worth repeating:

“The inflated value existentialists give to sincerity, authenticity, non-conformity, hyper-autonomy, spontaneity, and bohemian indifference to social norms and the expectations of others represents is a false idealism. It is divorced from the realities of human nature and grants legitimacy to antisocial boorishness.”

Thanks...I’ve bookmarked this for further use. ;-)

[frog in a pot]

Thanks for the link. Very interesting.

(OK, I skipped to the Conclusion, but was impressed enough to save it for a later read.)

[E. Cartman]

Some interesting thoughts but if you know that Strauss was an atheist, and therefore to his mind there are no absolutes, all of his neo-conservative bluster ultimately reduces to nothing but intellectual masturbation, which a world view without God, all major intellectual endeavour ultimately reduces to.
While there is a lot to criticize liberalism over, one should never begin with Strauss, the quintessential pot calling the kettle black, for in his world everything reduces to “Might makes right.”

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

Some interesting thoughts but if you know that Strauss was an atheist, and therefore to his mind there are no absolutes, all of his neo-conservative bluster ultimately reduces to nothing but intellectual masturbation, which a world view without God, all major intellectual endeavour ultimately reduces to.

But he did say religion was a good thing for society.

[abclily]

Liberals will never be happy. They are not happy now with any kind of social order. They will not be happy when all traditions have been erased. Liberals have empty souls.

[DeweyCA]

Liberals will never be happy. They are not happy now with any kind of social order. They will not be happy when all traditions have been erased. Liberals have empty souls.

Liberals will never be happy because their ideas about human nature don't conform to reality and thus they will never work, and so Liberals will never see their utopian plans work. They are doomed to eternal frustration.

[abclily]

You are absolutely correct.