The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism w/ Matt McManus

Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

On this May Day edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, political theorist Matt McManus joins us to unpack The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism, his groundbreaking new book. We explore:

• Liberal Socialism Defined: Why liberal rights and socialist economics aren’t mutually exclusive—and how methodological collectivism and normative individualism unite them.

• Historical Roots: From Mary Wollstonecraft and Thomas Paine’s radical democracy to John Stuart Mill’s social liberalism, contrasted with Edmund Burke and Ludwig von Mises.

• Core Principles: A developmental ethic over mere inquiry, economic democracy within a liberal framework, and, for some, extending democratic values into the family.

• Key Influences: John Rawls’s Theory of Justice, Samuel Moyn’s critique of Cold War liberalism and the relationship between Samuel Moyn's book LIBERALISM AGAINST ITSELF: COLD WAR INTELLECTUALS AND THE MAKING OF OUR TIMES and Matt's book, and a speculative look at Richard Rorty’s pragmatic liberalism in relation to Liberal Socialism.

• Global & Anti-Colonial Critiques: Addressing charges of Eurocentrism and imperialist bias by anti-colonial and Global South critiques of Liberal Socialism.

• Critiques from the Left & Right: Responses to neoliberal, libertarian, and Marxist-Leninist objections, and why caricaturing Marx misses his nuanced view of liberal institutions.

If you’re interested in the crossroads of political philosophy, the future of democratic socialism, and reclaiming a tradition of freedom and equality, tune in to this deep dive with Matt McManus.