Contemporary postliberalism recycles 19th-century Catholic anti-liberal rhetoric and arguments
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/by/the-ezra-klein-show. "Opinion | The Historical Roots of Postliberalism - The New York Times." May 5, 2026. www.nytimes.com
The Gist
Today's critics of liberalism are basically using the same playbook as 19th-century Catholic opponents of liberal politics. The arguments about liberals destroying families and traditional values aren't new - they're recycled talking points from over a century ago.
Conclusion
Modern postliberal movements, exemplified by figures like JD Vance and Patrick Deneen, are essentially reviving and reusing the same anti-liberal arguments and rhetoric that 19th-century Catholic counter-revolutionaries employed against liberalism
Premises
- The term 'liberal' originated as a pejorative insult connected to the French Revolution and was seen as foreign and dangerous
- 19th-century Catholic counter-revolutionaries systematically attacked liberals with specific accusations: being selfish, anarchistic, anti-family, and sexually deviant
- The Catholic Church was liberalism's most powerful institutional enemy throughout the 19th century, with popes consistently denouncing liberalism as sinful
- Contemporary postliberals like Patrick Deneen use remarkably similar language and arguments as their 19th-century predecessors
- Modern postliberal criticisms (such as claiming 'the left wants to destroy the family') directly parallel historical Catholic anti-liberal rhetoric
Assumptions
- Historical patterns of political rhetoric tend to repeat across different eras
- The similarity in language and arguments indicates intellectual continuity rather than coincidence
- Understanding historical origins helps illuminate the nature of contemporary political movements
- Catholic counter-revolutionary thought provides a meaningful framework for understanding modern postliberalism