The Rise of Low Liberalism

This week we are very excited to talk with Dr Thomas Prosser from Cardiff University on the topic of “low liberalism”.  Dr Prosser coined the term low liberalism in a March 2023 piece for his sub stack ‘the path not taken’: 

https://www.thepathnottaken.net/p/the-rise-of-low-liberalism

We start by clarifying our definitions before trying to fit the idea of low liberalism into the mosaic of other contemporary cultural concepts, such as woke, social justice, authoritarianism, and the limits of politics. We also think about the role social media has played in allowing low liberalism to emerge and thrive.  We then ponder some of the potentially catastrophic consequences of low liberalism and what all of this means for free speech, including the fostering of a chilling atmosphere that forces people to self-censor. Dr Prosser leaves listeners with a final thought on the many similar ideas that are being discussed, and how it is quite possible for them to co-exist, even where they might contradict.