Is Cormac McCarthy “Based”?
Legendary novelist Cormac McCarthy is often hailed by the Right as one of its own. The truth is more complicated.
56 Articles by: Matt McManus
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Matt McManus is an assistant professor at Spelman College. He is the author of The Political Right and Equality and The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism among other books.
The Resentful World of the Religious Right
Over the past few decades, the Christian right has grown to wield tremendous power in the United States. Its conflictual, Manichean worldview has offered reassuring certainties to its followers in an era of social dislocation.
A Truly Free Society Demands Workplace Democracy
The unfreedom workers suffer on the job has been an abiding critique of capitalism, and for good reason. A society that allows for the full development of human freedom must allow people to collectively determine the conditions under which they work.
Jordan Peterson’s Take on the Bible Is as Bad as You’d Think
In his latest book, right-wing provocateur Jordan Peterson looks to extract existential and political lessons from the Old Testament. Far from probing deep truths, it’s a shallow, self-serving exercise in culture war.
The Pathologies of Inequality Are an Age-Old Preoccupation
Conservatives today often denigrate a concern with economic inequality as a deviant left-wing preoccupation. In fact, from antiquity to the present, canonical thinkers of diverse political orientations have diagnosed economic inequality as a great evil.
The Left Should Take Alasdair MacIntyre Seriously
Alasdair MacIntyre’s original critique of liberal modernity has won followers on the Left and the Right. His account of how capitalism has undermined the conditions of human flourishing deserves the serious attention of socialists.
Why Socialists Shouldn’t Reject Liberalism
The historical shortcomings of liberalism don’t mean that socialists should throw liberalism out wholesale. On the contrary: socialism needs liberalism.
Living Up to Liberal Commitments Means Confronting Capitalism
A new book argues that liberalism offers not just a set of institutional norms but a compelling way of thinking about human flourishing. To offer a complete account of the good life, liberalism needs to confront the structural injustices of capitalism.
Žižek’s Left-Wing Case for Christian Atheism
In his new book, Slavoj Žižek advances a provocative understanding of Christianity as a progressive, secularizing force. It’s classic Žižek — by turns brilliant and infuriating.
Can John Rawls Save Democracy?
In Free and Equal, economist and philosopher Daniel Chandler argues that the ideas of John Rawls offer solutions to the crisis of liberal democracy. Jacobin spoke with Chandler to discuss how socialists should engage with Rawlsian politics.
Thomas Sowell Is a Cynical Man
Thomas Sowell has been a titan of conservative politics for decades. Underneath the erudition and prolific output is a cynical thinker who puts an intellectual gloss on social domination.
Nietzsche Has Been Inspiring the Right for Over 100 Years
Over a century ago, Friedrich Nietzsche’s thought sparked a heated debate among Danish intellectuals about society’s moral foundations. The dispute prefigured today’s debates between the Left and the far right, which continues to be inspired by Nietzsche.
Unearthing the Often Overlooked Religious Foundations of European Socialism
The diverse mosaic of European socialism engaged both reformists and revolutionaries, often driven by not just intellect but also profound religious conviction. Together, these elements shaped the democratic socialist tradition.
Michael Brooks Championed a Cosmopolitan Socialist Vision
The late Michael Brooks championed a vision of international solidarity, grounded in our shared humanity. In doing so, he was reviving a tradition of cosmopolitanism that has long animated socialist and working-class movements at their best.
Georg Lukács Diagnosed the Irrationalism at the Heart of Right-Wing Thought
Socialist intellectual Georg Lukács was an astute critic of right-wing philosophy and its connections to fascism. For Lukács, philosophers of the Right were united by a reactionary disavowal of reason and justice.
The Right Says to Hell With Equality
The political right is a diverse intellectual tradition and world-making project. But there’s one thing that unites every variant of right-wing ideology: the belief that society will improve if we give up on the dream of a world where people are equal.
The Left Should Reclaim John Rawls’s Theory of Justice
Despite his towering academic reputation, John Rawls’s ideas have had little impact outside the university. That’s a shame: as the failures of neoliberalism have become increasingly stark, Rawls’s egalitarian theory of justice has much to recommend it.
Social Democracy and Social Conservatism Aren’t Compatible
Sohrab Ahmari’s critique of capitalist power is surprising and compelling. But as long as he remains committed to unjust hierarchies of power in gender and sexuality, he can’t be a coalition partner with the Left.
Democratic Socialism Can Make Liberal Rights Real
Under capitalism, the formal equality guaranteed under the law is a farce. Democratic socialism can guarantee liberal rights like free speech while shattering the resource imbalances of capitalism.
Matt Walsh’s Vitriolic Anti-Trans Christianity Is Distinctly Anti-Christian
Right-wing commentator Matt Walsh has made a name for himself with his relentless, religious-inflected trans-bashing. He’s a bad thinker and a bad Christian.