The SkyePod - Liberalism
Added 2025-10-31 10:00:15 +0000 UTCSkye and Kaitlyn talk Liberalism, a political philosophy that’s shaped our world—but the word has become totally conflated with whatever is considered “left-wing.” What is liberalism, why was it instrumental in constructing the American Experiment, and why does Skye seem so much more positive about it than Kaitlyn is?
Comments
I have read Rosen’s book, “The Pursuit of Happiness” that Skye mentioned and highly recommend it. I think it can be quite helpful in understanding what is meant by classical liberalism. Also, read up on the Scottish reformation, from which many of our liberalism values are derived.
Paul Barnum
2025-11-03 20:43:36 +0000 UTCMy thoughts: Liberalism is necessary but not sufficient for flourishing societies and individual lives. It provides the ability (freedom) to WILLINGLY submit/commit yourself to illiberal institutions and ideas (marriage, religion/church, family, community), which give our lives meaning. For a functioning society we also need the few top down regulations that limit the power of individual liberty as a weapon (free speech ends at yelling fire in a theater, where it would cause real harm), and of course protect others freedoms and rights from being infringed upon. The rub comes when we all have to live together, and instead of collaborating, and compromising for the good of the community, we push the bounds of our chosen illiberal tribe up and out. Coalitions (parties) multiply, and spread wide the projection of illiberal power-over individuals, communities, states, and nations. This is enabled/worsened by certain flaws in the machine of our democracy: first past the post elections and the electoral college (which will always disempower third-parties, and incentivize more extreme candidates), and the empowering of corporations as people to act politically (and without exception, illiberally). If those flaws were fixed, and power over was constrained back down to voluntarily joined communities, liberalism would increase, but this would also be fertile soil for healthy political conversation...what should the government DO, not just what it should regulate. 🖖🏼
Stephen Tack
2025-11-03 18:13:15 +0000 UTC
