Political Philosophy

In the wake of the events of the past week, most notably Trump supporters storming the Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, I encourage viewers to take a bit of a step back and to consider the bigger picture. If we cannot attempt to see that bigger picture using a longer view we will be doomed to repeat our mistakes. Can we look past the outrage felt by so many to ask the question “What led us to this point?” If we can, we will take the first step towards fixing the problem, rather than either making it worse or simply putting a bandaid on it. In this reading of a section of Chapter 6 of my book Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right, I build on the thoughts of Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, and Wendy Brown.

Link to the book: https://www.routledge.com/Ideological-Possession-and-the-Rise-of-the-New-Right-The-Political-Thought/Johnson/p/book/9781138082113

https://lauriemjohnson.com/

https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/

iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/

In this second part of our conversation, Spencer and I discuss topics such as antinomianism in Christianity, the cooptation of the ideal of sacrifice by capitalism, why McCarraher’s solutions (though insightful) call for more work, whether re-enchantment (via Charles Taylor) is desirable or scary, or both, Wall Street as a demonic force, Adorno and Horkheimer’s ideas of Enlightenment and Nature, McCarraher’s differences with Marxism, and why we can swallow camels but choke on gnats.

Enchantments of Mammon playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsLkfggTCOx9g6UbY3rSwMKeCwsGtAZtr

https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/

iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/

In this first part of our recent conversation, Spencer and I discuss what we took away from Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon. I did a series on this book not long ago, and I”ll put the playlist in a link below. We discuss the question of where Christianity started going wrong, McCarraher’s adoption of Romanticism, his preference for socialism and socialism’s compatibility with Christianity, and his even greater preference for some sort of Christian anarchism. What is the role of the church in creating community–and why doesn’t the church do it well? And we don’t mean getting together for a book club or coffee klatsch.

Enchantments of Mammon playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlistlist=PLsLkfggTCOx9g6UbY3rSwMKeCwsGtAZtr

https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/

iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

https://mortc.com

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/

This is a reading of my blog post “Christmas 2020: What Does the Incarnation Mean? Three Insights.” Instead of discussing whether the event happened or whether Jesus could really also be God, I ask “If we believe this, how does it change things?” The Incarnation puts us into an uncomfortable place, especially in this year when we can so clearly see how messed up the world has become, largely due to human actions. It puts us in an uncomfortable place because it asks way more of people than they have been willing to do so far.

The blog post: https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/2020/12/24/christmas-2020-what-does-incarnation-mean/

Referenced: Jurgen Moltmann, The Crucified God: https://www.amazon.com/Crucified-God-Jurgen-Moltmann/dp/150640295X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1608825741&sr=1-1

Using an all-too-familiar modern story of social media seduction, consequent marital breakup, and the futile search for validation in new romantic relationships, I traverse chapters 6 and 7 in Charles Taylor’ Malaise of Modernity. The story is sadly commonplace, which is ironic because breakups are often done in the quest for authenticity. But for that reason, this story is an analog for what generally ails us. I cover some systemic reasons Taylor mentions which help explain why people often make relationship mistakes over and over again in the search for an authentic life, but I offer a critique as well.

Charles Taylor does not adequately deal with the influence of capitalism as the underlying cause of the systemic reasons he does mention, and for the deep-rooted habits of “expressivism” that yield the shallow and trivial authenticity he criticizes. Capitalism feeds off of personal misery and the endless quest for fulfillment and makes it difficult (but not impossible?) to get beyond shallow authenticity.

https://lauriemjohnson.com/

https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/

iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/

This podcast discusses content from Chapters 4 and 5 of Charles Taylor’s The Malaise of Modernity (1991). Taylor patiently eviscerates contemporary vapid relativism as logically incoherent and socially destructive and discusses the inherently social nature of human beings. The consequences of claiming complete autonomy of choice based on our feelings include an inability to defend our positions and an ignorance about our true nature. The “complete autonomy” approach deprives us of the dialogue we need in our personal and social relationships that would help us make better choices in the pursuit of authenticity.

https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/

iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/

In this podcast I discuss the modern idea authenticity as developed in chapters 2 and 3 of Charles Taylor’s “The Malaise of Modernity” (CBC Massey Lecture Series, 1991). Taylor thinks that the ethic of authenticity is separable from the moral relativism, emotivism and narcissism with which it is associated by authors like Allan Bloom and Christopher Lasch, and that it holds promise as a modern moral ideal if we can do so. In these two chapters he begins to excavate why American (including Canadian, though probably less so) culture took a turn into flabby relativism and narcissism and how we might excavate the original meaning of authenticity to see if it holds true promise. To that end, he discusses its Romantic origins in the ideas of Rousseau and Herder. Along the way, I relate some of Taylor’s ideas the work of Isaiah Berlin and Leo Strauss.

For more from me: https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/

iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/

Charles Taylor’s brief book, The Malaise of Modernity, published in 1991, identifies three worries that lead to a general malaise–a feeling of being lost or being in decline, feelings that are pervasive today. These worries stem from the problems associated with individualism, instrumental rationality and a decay of politics. All three are tied together. Unlike some other authors who also deal with these problems, Taylor sets out to see if there is any way that the true benefits that have developed from these three phenomena can be separated from their evils, and whether and how we can get out from under the domination of a new kind of authority stemming from technical rationality itself–the tutelary power of “soft despotism.” The ideas of Tocqueville, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche are briefly touched on because Taylor references them as indicative of elements of the malaise.

For more from me: https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/

iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/

In this final part of my series on Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon, I discuss ideas from his excellent epilogue, including his endorsement of Romantic sacramental radicalism, and his reference to Pope Francis as well as scholars like Hardt and Negri to make his case that we are challenged to a new way of life reflected in the phrase (in contrast to Rod Dreher’s “Benedict Option”) the (my words) “Francis Option.”

Here’s the link to Matthew Chrulew’s article: https://read.dukeupress.edu/environmental-humanities/article/8/2/245/8138/Francis-s-Planetary-Practice

For more from me: https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/

Inspired by Chapter 26 of Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon entitled “The New Testament of Capitalism,” I focus on the intellectuals whose ideas undergird the faith in the “free market.” Taking both the concept of faith and what these thinkers said seriously, it’s hard to miss that their perspective runs counter to the faith of people of the book (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) because it enchants the market with godlike and irresistible “laws of nature” and promises to solve all the world’s problems. Neoliberal capitalism is another ideology that, because it is ultimately a human invention, cannot deliver the grandiose benefits it promises, and yet requires of its believers more unquestioning reverence than any truly transcendent power asks of them.

For more from me: https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/

iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

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Here’s the URL to the Political Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/608141959786172/about/