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To listen to the full episode and support the podcast, please subscribe today! Bret Stephens is an opinion columnist for The New York Times and the founder and editor-in- chief of SAPIR, a new quarterly devoted to issues of Jewish concern. In this week's conversation, Yascha and Bret discuss how Donald Trump has changed political culture, why moderates around the world are struggling, and what makes the United States uniquely innovative. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community Podcast production by Mickey Freeland and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google X: @Yascha_Mounk & @JoinPersuasion YouTube: Yascha Mounk, Persuasion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yascha is a professor at Johns Hopkins University, the Founder of Persuasion and the host of The Good Fight podcast, known for his work on democracy, identity, and polarization. In this conversation with Amanda, he describes how growing up between cultures shaped his obsession with belonging and freedom, why personal resilience matters just as much as political resilience and how finding your voice in a world that wants to define you can illuminate the fight for democracy itself. Reach out to us at www.amandaknox.com or amandaknox.substack.com X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @amandaknox.com Free: My Search for Meaning Waking Up Meditation App https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on the Sinica Podcast, I chat with well-known author and public intellectual Yascha Mounk about his recent fascination with China, his approach to learning about the country and learning Chinese, and his thoughts on how China fits into the current crisis of Western liberal democracy.7:15 – Yascha's experience of living in China and learning Chinese12:18 – Yascha's perspective on China's strengths and weaknesses20:12 – China in a global comparative perspective: Generational aspirations and demographic decline29:45 – China's Soft Power vs. Japan, Korea, and the U.S.45:30 – Media narratives on China: have they shifted?54:20 – Western Liberalism confronts China01:07:07 – Backlash & criticism01:11:35 - Polarization and “China as enemy” narrativesRecommendations: Yascha: The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (book), The Leopard (1963) (movie)Kaiser: A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism by Adam Gopnik (book)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
David Brooks interviews Yascha Mounk to mark the paperback edition of The Identity Trap. Yascha Mounk is the founder and editor-in-chief of Persuasion. His latest book is The Identity Trap, which is out in paperback with a new afterword on September 23. David Brooks is a columnist for The New York Times and a contributor to The Atlantic. He is a commentator on The PBS Newshour. His latest book is How To Know A Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and David Brooks discuss how Yascha's personal history influences his thought, the intellectual history behind the identity synthesis, and how to create a vision for the Democrats to inspire voters. Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google X: @Yascha_Mounk & @JoinPersuasion YouTube: Yascha Mounk, Persuasion LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Goodbye Normal - it was nice knowing you!Nick Cohen and author & academic Yascha Mounk explore the enduring presence of populism and the challenges faced by centrists in adapting to changing political realities, discussing how assumptions about the world have evolved over the past 25 years. They examine various economic and political challenges across different countries, including Britain, Poland, and the United States, while analyzing how populists like Modi and Trump have capitalised on claims of representing the people against elites. The conversation concluded with discussions about the challenges facing American progressives and centre-left parties, emphasising the need for strategic adjustments and effective messaging to counteract populist threats and regain political credibility.Challenges of Centrism in Populism EraYascha explains the enduring presence of populism and the challenges faced by centrists in the current political landscape. Yascha highlighted how assumptions about the world, particularly those held by liberal democrats, have been swept away over the past 25 years, similar to the period after World War II. He emphasises that centrists are often out of tune with the present because they cling to outdated worldviews rather than adapting to new realities. Andrew agreed, noting that Peter Mandelson's comment about Trump being the most consequential president in living memory reflects the shift from a neoliberal to a populist order.Defending democracy and academic freedomYascha also emphasises the importance of defending democratic institutions and academic freedom against threats like Donald Trump, arguing that while some may have been willing to compromise on issues like diversity statements in the past, it is now crucial to stand firm. He criticises the tendency of some liberal professors and journalists to impose their values on society, which can backfire and drive people towards Trump-like figures.Read all about it!Yascha is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Persuasion Substack - @JoinPersuasion - and also has his own Yascha Mounk Substack column. A man of many talents, Yascha hosts his own podcast, The Good Fight. Yascha's latest and highly acclaimed book - The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time - is published by Penguin. A political scientist, Yascha is also Professor of Practice at the School of Advanced International Studies of John Hopkins University in the U.S.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today, I'm pleased to welcome Yascha Mounk to the TLP Podcast. Yascha is an Associate Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and is the author of the excellent 2023 book, The Identity Trap, featured on TLP when it was first published. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the always interesting Persuasion newsletter and writes regularly on his own personal self-titled Substack as well.Join us for a nuanced discussion about unresolved populism in Western societies, the contradictions of modern free speech politics, and why liberal democracy risks erosion without the emergence of bolder, more heterodox leaders.A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe
In this week's conversation, Persuasion editor-in-chief Yascha Mounk was joined by listeners of The Good Fight for a “mailbag” episode, speaking about everything from domestic and global politics to AI. Larry Diamond's piece The Crisis of Democracy can be found in Persuasion. Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields, and Leonora Barclay Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hamish McKenzie is co-founder of Substack, a platform for online publications including Persuasion and writing like Yascha's weekly column. He is a writer and former journalist based in San Francisco. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Hamish McKenzie discuss how Substack was formed, why its business model rewards different behaviors to traditional social media, and its steadfast commitment to free speech in the face of criticism. Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields, and Leonora Barclay Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I'm really proud of the community that has grown up around The Good Fight, Persuasion and my own Substack. That's why I was excited to welcome paying subscribers to join me for a live session—so I could answer your questions personally. We had a great discussion: About the idea of a foreign policy for the middle class. About the state of free speech in Europe. About how to tell when the rule of law has broken down in the United States. About the prospects for a third party. And about so much more. Our next Q&A, reserved for paying subscribers, will be on Monday, March 31 at 6pm Eastern. Do join us! –Yascha Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Mickey Freeland, and Leonora Barclay Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wolfgang Münchau is the Director of Eurointelligence and a journalist focusing on the European Union and European economy. His most recent book is Kaput: The End of the German Miracle. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Wolfgang Münchau discuss why the German car industry–and broader economy–is in decline, and explore the potential political future of Germany as the country heads to the polls. This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. To get ad-free access to all of The Good Fight, including full weekly conversations and frequent bonus episodes, please subscribe to my Substack [insert link: www.yaschamounk.substack.com]. This will also allow you to get Yascha's weekly column about current events and big ideas directly into your inbox. If you are already a subscriber but have not yet set up this podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields, and Leonora Barclay Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Marc Dunkelman on Why Nothing Works Marc Dunkelman is a fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. His most recent book is Why Nothing Works. In this conversation, Yascha Mounk and Marc Dunkelman explore the challenges facing big projects in the U.S., the origins of progressivism, and how Donald Trump fits into this story. This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. To get ad-free access to all of The Good Fight, including full weekly conversations and frequent bonus episodes, please subscribe to my Substack [insert link: www.yaschamounk.substack.com]. This will also allow you to get Yascha's weekly column about current events and big ideas directly into your inbox. If you are already a subscriber but have not yet set up this podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Mickey Freeland, and Leonora Barclay Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a tour d'horizon, Yascha and Frank discuss the fall of Assad, the rise of China, the crisis in Europe, and what awaits the United States under Trump. Francis Fukuyama is a political scientist, author, and the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Among Fukuyama's notable works are The End of History and the Last Man and The Origins of Political Order. His latest book is Liberalism and Its Discontents. He is also the author of the “Frankly Fukuyama” column, carried forward from American Purpose, at Persuasion. He is a member of Persuasion's Board of Advisors. In this week's conversation, Yascha and Frank discuss Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's flawed plans for reforming the federal bureaucracy (and how to actually reform it); why crises in France and Germany bode ill for Europe; and what the public reaction to the assassination of Brian Thompson says about healthcare in America. This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields, and Brendan Ruberry Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In our second-ever mailbag, Yascha answers questions about the role of journalism in the Trump era, RFK Jr., and a national voter ID law. Yascha also answers listener questions about whether it's good or bad that it is so hard to pass a new law in the United States and the importance of public choice economics. This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields, and Brendan Ruberry Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the 2nd of a 2-part interview, Nick Cohen asks author, academic & commentator Yascha Mounk where next for Trump and his MAGA cult following? Already the President-elect is creating his cabinet of freaks, buffoons and creeps. Trump has already been humiliated in his original choice for Attorney-General - the firebrand former Congressman Mat Gaetz - who's now crashed and burned amid a flurry of lurid sex and drug claims.So, already Trump's predictably bizarre cabinet choices are causing deep alarm - for example his decision to make ex-Democrat congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard his intelligence chief. Gabbard has been accused of being a sympathiser of both Syria's and Russia's dictators - Bashar Al Assad and Vladamir Putin.Yascha tells Nick he doesn't think Trump is senile - he sees Trump as definitely the same man as he was back in 2016 - except older and if anything more radical. So what can we expect from a second Trump presidency? For sure, the next four years promises a bumpy ride for the United States and the rest of the world, with an expected U.S.- led trade war and a betrayal of Ukraine, with the trashing of NATO thrown in for good measure..Yascha says "you normalise Trump, you normalise the extraordinary ... this is not a coherent figure. Let's put it as politely as I can. This is a chaotic figure. This is a figure who makes no sense in charge of the most powerful nation on earth and, and in a sense attempts to kind of rationalise him rather miss the point." In many ways, Trump is a more scary figure than he was back in 2016 when he was still openly hated by many Republicans. Yascha says He has four years of experience. I don't believe he's senile. And I think when you look at how, the beginning of his, transition has gone, he is very organised, very disciplined, not tweeting about random things, making short video announcements about the policies he's going to pursue."Yascha is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Persuasion Substack - @JoinPersuasion - and also has his own Yascha Mounk Substack column. A man of many talents, Yascha hosts his own podcast, The Good Fight. Yascha's latest and highly acclaimed book - The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time - is published by Penguin. A political scientist, Yascha is also Professor of Practice at the School of Advanced International Studies of John Hopkins University in the U.S.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the first of a special 2 part interview, Nick Cohen and author and political scientist Yascha Mounk explore how centre and left progressives got it so wrong in their fight against Donald Trump and an insurgent radical right.Democrats misread minorities@Yascha_Mounk , Professor of Practice at John Hopkins University in the U.S., argues that the Democrats wrongly assumed that they would have a growing inbuilt majority because most white people voted Republican and most non white people voted Democratic. Yascha tells Nick, "actually what happened since 2016 is that Democrats gained significant share of a vote among white voters, but they lost an even more significant share of a vote among African Americans, among Asian Americans, among Native Americans, and especially among Latinos."Woke ideology helped win it for TrumpOn race, trans-gender - you name it - Woke ideology cost the Democrats dear. Insistence on politically correct language also helped antagonise particularly working class, less educated people. Yascha says, "working class nonwhite people who may have pause at some of the things Trump says, who might not love Trump, but we say, you know, at least he's not going to judge me for saying the wrong word in some kind of way." Yascha describes as "absolutely false" the assumption that minorities were demanding major changes to the political system, adding, "most African Americans certainly wanted a reform of a police ... the majority rejected any attempt to fund the police less or to defund it'"Ditch Woke or carry on losingYascha says progressives often ask why they should moderate their views when the radical right is "running on whatever crazy and extreme platform and they don't moderate." He adds, "the answer to that is 'We need to win and currently we're not winning.'" In contrast, Trump coldly and shrewdly saw off the threat over abortion rights by appearing to sell out his anti-abortion base. Yascha says Democrats never once compromised "to get to where the majority of American voters are."Yascha is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Persuasion Substack - @JoinPersuasion - and also has his own Yascha Mounk Substack column. A man of many talents, Yascha hosts his own podcast, The Good Fight. Yascha's latest and highly acclaimed book - The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time - is published by Penguin.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
durée : 00:43:21 - Signes des temps - par : Marc Weitzmann - Le monde vient de changer radicalement mais nous ne savons pas encore comment. Nous ne le découvrirons pas avant le début de l'année prochaine et l'investiture du 47ème président des Etats-Unis. Mais une chose, une seule est sûre : l'époque a désormais le visage de Donald Trump. - réalisation : Luc-Jean Reynaud - invités : Yascha Mounk Politologue.
Yascha and Freya discuss why so many young people came to prefer the online world to real life. Freya India is the author of the Substack GIRLS. She is also a staff writer for Jonathan Haidt's Substack After Babel. In this week's conversation, Yascha and Freya discuss the great sense of social isolation and anxiety felt by so many young people; why the life lived online is a shoddy substitute for the real thing; and how the difficulties ascribed to social media addiction among young people often can be traced to a broader desire for wisdom and meaning. This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields, and Brendan Ruberry Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The first installment of a new monthly feature. In this inaugural mailbag, Yascha answers listener questions on the upcoming US election; how concerned we should be about a second Trump term; whether it's possible for a politician to change their views without giving up on their principles; his tips for how to travel well; and more. This is a preview. To access the full episode, become a paying subscriber today by visiting http://www.yaschamounk.substack.com/subscribe! And please send us questions for future installments at goodfightpod@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, we dedicate our weekend Best Of show to an interview Mike did on Yascha Mounk's podcast, The Good Fight. Mike is the guest in this wide-ranging conversation about media and society, and Yascha's voice is very calming. Enjoy. Thanks to Yascha, Brendan, and Jack at The Good Fight for letting us use their episode. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to our ad-free and/or PescaPlus versions of The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Follow Mike's Substack: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Is “identity synthesis” the remedy for racial injustice? This political scientist says no. Yascha Mounk, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and host of “The Good Fight” podcast, explains how identity synthesis - an ideology based on treating people differently depending on their race, gender, or sexual orientation - can be quite harmful to society. He uses the example of racially segregated classrooms, claiming that it is human tendency to inherently side with someone in your “group” before you side with someone from another. Mounk argues that identity synthesis will only further divide us, as it goes directly against the ideologies of Black American thinkers like Fredrick Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr, who fought avidly for equality in the United States. By following this identity-first ideology, we may be reversing the work done by these social rights activists. Instead, we should lean further into their legacy of advocating for universal principles, where individuals are judged not by the categories they belong to but by their character and actions. -------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think:- ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Yascha Mounk: Yascha Mounk is a writer and academic known for his work on the crisis of democracy and the defense of philosophically liberal values. Born in Germany to Polish parents, Yascha received his BA in History from Trinity College Cambridge and his PhD in Government from Harvard University. He is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, where he holds appointments in both the School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute. Yascha is also a Contributing Editor at The Atlantic, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Moynihan Public Fellow at City College. He is the Founder of Persuasion, the host of The Good Fight podcast, and serves as a publisher (Herausgeber) at Die Zeit. Yascha has written five books: Stranger in My Own Country - A Jewish Family in Modern Germany, a memoir about Germany's fraught attempts to deal with its past; The Age of Responsibility – Luck, Choice and the Welfare State, which argues that a growing obsession with the concept of individual responsibility has transformed western welfare states; The People versus Democracy – Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It, which explains the causes of the populist rise and investigates how to renew liberal democracy; and The Great Experiment - Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, which argues that anybody who seeks to help ethnically and religiously diverse democracies thrive has reason to embrace a more ambitious vision for their future than is now fashionable; and his latest, The Identity Trap - A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, which tells the story of how a new set of ideas about race, gender and sexual orientation came to be extremely influential in mainstream institutions, and why it would be a mistake to give up on a more universalist humanism. Next to his work for The Atlantic, Yascha also occasionally writes for newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs. He is also a regular contributor to major international publications including Die Zeit, La Repubblica, El País, l'Express and Folha de São Paolo, among others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week: On Monday, tents sprung up at Oxford and Cambridge as part of a global, pro-Palestinian student protest which began at Columbia University. In his cover piece, Yascha Mounk, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, explains how universities in both the US and the UK have misguidedly harboured and actively encouraged absurdist activism on campuses. Yascha joined the podcast to discuss further. (01:57) Next: Bugs, biscuits, trench foot: a dispatch from the front line of the protests. The Spectator's Angus Colwell joined students at tent encampments this week at UCL, Oxford and Cambridge. He found academics joining in with the carnival atmosphere. At Cambridge one don even attended with their baby in tow. ‘Peaceful protest? Rubbish it does nothing,' a UCL student tells him. ‘Zionist attitudes start young, and we need our institutions to correct that. None of us are free until all of us are free, until Zionism is gone.' One Jewish UCL student claims they were spat at by protestors ‘who told us to go back to Poland'. As part of his research, Angus sat down with Anwar, a spokesperson for the protestors at University College London and he sent us that conversation, which you can hear on the podcast. (17:34) Then: Lara and Will take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Philip Hensher's Life column and James Delingpole's review of Shardlake on Disney +. And finally: should we take Beryl Cook more seriously? In his arts lead for the magazine this week, Julian Spalding writes about Beryl Cook whose unique art is celebrated by many as an exuberant take on everyday life. However she is often looked down upon within the art establishment. To coincide with a new exhibition of her work at Studio Voltaire we thought we would reappraise her legacy with Julian and Rachel Campbell-Johnston, former chief art critic at the Times. (29:44) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
This week: On Monday, tents sprung up at Oxford and Cambridge as part of a global, pro-Palestinian student protest which began at Columbia University. In his cover piece, Yascha Mounk, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, explains how universities in both the US and the UK have misguidedly harboured and actively encouraged absurdist activism on campuses. Yascha joined the podcast to discuss further. (01:57) Next: Bugs, biscuits, trench foot: a dispatch from the front line of the protests. The Spectator's Angus Colwell joined students at tent encampments this week at UCL, Oxford and Cambridge. He found academics joining in with the carnival atmosphere. At Cambridge one don even attended with their baby in tow. ‘Peaceful protest? Rubbish it does nothing,' a UCL student tells him. ‘Zionist attitudes start young, and we need our institutions to correct that. None of us are free until all of us are free, until Zionism is gone.' One Jewish UCL student claims they were spat at by protestors ‘who told us to go back to Poland'. As part of his research, Angus sat down with Anwar, a spokesperson for the protestors at University College London and he sent us that conversation, which you can hear on the podcast. (17:34) Then: Lara and Will take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Philip Hensher's Life column and James Delingpole's review of Shardlake on Disney +. And finally: should we take Beryl Cook more seriously? In his arts lead for the magazine this week, Julian Spalding writes about Beryl Cook whose unique art is celebrated by many as an exuberant take on everyday life. However she is often looked down upon within the art establishment. To coincide with a new exhibition of her work at Studio Voltaire we thought we would reappraise her legacy with Julian and Rachel Campbell-Johnston, former chief art critic at the Times. (29:44) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Today, Yascha Mounk and Christopher Rufo debate the origins of DEI and the right way to fight the illiberal orthodoxy that has consumed our schools and institutions. Christopher is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a board member at New College of Florida, and maybe the country's most influential conservative activist. He thinks that using the power of the law to stop DEI is essential. Yascha is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an international affairs professor at Johns Hopkins University. He thinks that while DEI—and woke ideology more broadly—is concerning, he doesn't think the answer to its illiberalism should come in the form of bans and legislation. They both recently published books that investigate the changing cultural trends of the American left. Yascha is the author of The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time. And Christopher's book is America's Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Author and Journalist Yascha Mounk, exploring his work covering the crisis of democracy and the themes of his new book, The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time._____LINKShttps://www.yaschamounk.comPODCASTThe Good Fight with Yascha MounkWRITINGThe Atlantic | Foreign Affairs | PersuasionSOCIAL MEDIAFacebook | Twitter_____Yascha Mounk is a writer and academic known for his work on the crisis of democracy and the defense of philosophically liberal values.Born in Germany to Polish parents, Yascha received his BA in History from Trinity College Cambridge and his PhD in Government from Harvard University. He is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, where he holds appointments in both the School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute. Yascha is also a Contributing Editor at The Atlantic, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Moynihan Public Fellow at City College. He is the Founder of Persuasion, the host of The Good Fight podcast, and serves as a publisher (Herausgeber) at Die Zeit._____I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists, and change-makers of our time on this podcast, and I want to personally thank you for subscribing, listening, and sharing 100-plus episodes over 100,000 times.Please subscribe to this Podcast, In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer, on your favorite platform, and to my Substack, It Has to Be Said.Thanks! Support the show_____In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer is a production of the George Bailey Morality in Public Life Fellowship. It is hosted by Frank Schaeffer, author of Fall In Love, Have Children, Stay Put, Save the Planet, Be Happy. Learn more at https://www.lovechildrenplanet.comFollow Frank on Substack, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube. https://frankschaeffer.substack.comhttps://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16https://twitter.com/Frank_Schaefferhttps://www.instagram.com/frank_schaeffer_arthttps://www.threads.net/@frank_schaeffer_arthttps://www.youtube.com/c/FrankSchaefferYouTube In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer PodcastLove In Common Podcast with Frank Schaeffer, Ernie Gregg, and Erin Bagwell
A quick announcement ... What led Yascha to write about identity ... An intellectual history of “identity synthesis” ... What's so bad about “strategic essentialism”? ... From postmodernism to post-civil rights ... The three key claims of identity synthesis ... What led up to the summer of 2020? ... The hermetically sealed ideology of Kendi and DiAngelo ... Yascha's defense of universalism ...
A quick announcement … What led Yascha to write about identity … An intellectual history of “identity synthesis” … What's so bad about “strategic essentialism”? … From postmodernism to post-civil rights … The three key claims of identity synthesis … What led up to the summer of 2020? … The hermetically sealed ideology of Kendi […]
A quick announcement ... What led Yascha to write about identity ... An intellectual history of “identity synthesis” ... What's so bad about “strategic essentialism”? ... From postmodernism to post-civil rights ... The three key claims of identity synthesis ... What led up to the summer of 2020? ... The hermetically sealed ideology of Kendi and DiAngelo ... Yascha's defense of universalism ...
Yascha Mounk joins Brendan O'Neill for the latest episode of The Brendan O'Neill Show to talk about his new book, The Identity Trap. Yascha and Brendan discuss what ‘woke' really means, the ideological roots of identity politics, and whether populism can save democracy. Work for spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/jobs/ Order Brendan O'Neill's A Heretic's Manifesto now from:
Yascha Mounk is the guest this week. Topics include the press's credulity regarding the Gaza hospital story; the speakerless House; and Yascha's new book The Identity Trap. highlights / lowlights Mona: Poland Shows That Autocracy Is Not Inevitable by Anne Applebaum Yascha: The shift in media coverage about the hospital in Gaza. Linda: How America's Largest Socialist Organization Went from Supporting Israel to Boycotting It by Ron Radosh. Bill: ‘The Most Disgraceful Behavior By Republicans In My Lifetime': Gingrich Lets Loose on House GOP and Amir Tibon on How His Family Survived the Hamas Massacre. Damon: Palestinian right of return matters by Matthew Yglesias.
It's been a while since the Remnant featured some spirited kvetching about identity politics and wokeness in American life, but those issues haven't exactly faded away. Today's guest is Yascha Mounk, a prolific author and academic whose new book, The Identity Trap, examines where exactly woke ideology emerged from and how it became so influential. Yascha's thesis is that an obsession with group identity is leading many progressives astray despite their good intentions, and that this is ultimately hindering progress toward true equality in American life. But why are so many people from across the political spectrum falling into the identity trap? What's the appeal of populism and nationalism? And will Jonah's growing crotchetiness soon cause him to completely give up on intellectual history? Show Notes: -Watch this interview on YouTube -Yascha's webpage -Yascha's new book, The Identity Trap -Yascha's previous book, The Great Experiment -Yascha's previous Remnant appearance -Calvin Coolidge's speech on America's 150th birthday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud, John Tomasi speaks with Yascha Mounk. Yascha is a German born political scientist, author, and lecturer known for his research on the rise of populism and the challenges to liberal democracy. He has authored several influential books, including "Stranger in My Own Country", "The People vs. Democracy", and his new book, "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time" explores the rise of identity politics and its implications for social justice.But does identity politics actually help to create a more just and inclusive society? Follow Yascha Mounk on: Twitter: https://bit.ly/3Fb4wFQ Website: https://www.yaschamounk.com/ Facebook: https://bit.ly/48NLQJO Follow Heterodox Academy on: Twitter: https://bit.ly/3Fax5Dy Facebook: https://bit.ly/3PMYxfw LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/48IYeuJ Instagram: https://bit.ly/46HKfUg Substack: https://bit.ly/48IhjNF
My guest today is Yascha Mounk. Yascha is a German born political scientist, author, and lecturer known for his research on the rise of populism and the challenges to liberal democracy. He has authored several influential books, including "Stranger in My Own Country", "The People vs. Democracy", and his new book, "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time" A few episodes ago, I had Christopher Rufo on the podcast to discuss his analysis of why wokeness came to dominate so many institutions. Yascha's asking the same question in this book, but he's coming to a different answer. Yascha focuses less on people like Herbert Marcuse and more on intellectuals like Michel Foucault, Edward Said, Derrick Bell, and Kimberlé Crenshaw. We also talk about why there are so many former Marxists in the writing world, but so few people who convert into Marxism later in life. We talk about how Foucault's critique of language differs from George Orwell's critique of language, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
My guest today is Yascha Mounk. Yascha is a German born political scientist, author, and lecturer known for his research on the rise of populism and the challenges to liberal democracy. He has authored several influential books, including "Stranger in My Own Country", "The People vs. Democracy", and his new book, "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time"A few episodes ago, I had Christopher Rufo on the podcast to discuss his analysis of why wokeness came to dominate so many institutions. Yascha's asking the same question in this book, but he's coming to a different answer. Yascha focuses less on people like Herbert Marcuse and more on intellectuals like Michel Foucault, Edward Said, Derrick Bell, and Kimberlé Crenshaw. We also talk about why there are so many former Marxists in the writing world, but so few people who convert into Marxism later in life. We talk about how Foucault's critique of language differs from George Orwell's critique of language, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
My guest today is Yascha Mounk. Yascha is a German born political scientist, author, and lecturer known for his research on the rise of populism and the challenges to liberal democracy. He has authored several influential books, including "Stranger in My Own Country", "The People vs. Democracy", and his new book, "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time"A few episodes ago, I had Christopher Rufo on the podcast to discuss his analysis of why wokeness came to dominate so many institutions. Yascha's asking the same question in this book, but he's coming to a different answer. Yascha focuses less on people like Herbert Marcuse and more on intellectuals like Michel Foucault, Edward Said, Derrick Bell, and Kimberlé Crenshaw. We also talk about why there are so many former Marxists in the writing world, but so few people who convert into Marxism later in life. We talk about how Foucault's critique of language differs from George Orwell's critique of language, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
Yascha Mounk returns for round two! If you missed part one of our conversation with the political theorist, writer, and podcaster about his latest book, The Identity Trap, stop now and listen to that episode first. We pick up where we left off last time and get deep into debate about strategic essentialism, the privileging of marginalized voices, and the incoherencies of standpoint theory. We also ask Yascha why he disagrees with John McWhorter's theory that the proponents of the Identity Synthesis are members of a new religion. Plus, Yascha plays relationship counselor for your sparring hosts and his dog finally gets outside. Follow Uncertain Things on uncertain.substack.com or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.On another note, we will be attending Yascha's Oct 4 talk at the Streiker Center in NYC. See you there?Also check out:-Our talk with James Kirchick about the contradictions of our current gender debates.-Our talk with Yuval Levin on the moral failure of civic institutions in the age of narcissism.-Our talk with Tom Holland about his lost faith in liberalism.On the agenda:-Re-capping Round 1 [0:00-3:03]-On Justice, essentialism, and race (the implications of standpoint theory) [3:04-15:12]-Who Gets to Speak for their Race? [15:13-23:49] -The Catastrophes of Unsalvageable Liberalism [23:50-32:15]-On intention and persuasion [32:16-42:03]-The woke religion? [42:04-50:31]-The Identity Synthesis [50:32-54:43] -Outtake: Against Monocausal Explanations [55:00-57:25]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
I've interviewed Yascha Mounk about his book The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, which was released this week."Mounk has told the story of the Great Awokening better than any other writer who has attempted to make sense of it," The Washington Post wrote in a review.Yascha's book says that we can reach across our differences and understand one another, and that we need to make the effort to do so, through conversation, debate, and relationship. I was not aware of the degree to which some progressive writers and intellectuals have argued that such mutual understanding is not even possible, and so they have discouraged the pursuit.It's hard for me to imagine a world in which we do not at least try to understand and appreciate one another, even those with whom we have profound differences. That effort is at the heart of a free and prosperous society, in my mind.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Yascha Mounk is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University. He is also a Contributing Editor at the Atlantic, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the host of The Good Fight podcast. Yascha has written five books, the most recent of which is The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time (Penguin, 2023). In this episode, Robinson and Yascha talk about this latest work. They begin by discussing the interrelationship between political theory, political science, and political philosophy before moving on to the role of equality in the politics on the left over the past hundred years. Then they turn to the rise of identity politics, its dangers, and how we can avoid what Yascha refers to as “the identity trap.” The Identity Trap: https://a.co/d/jh6IZIR Yascha's Website: https://www.yaschamounk.com OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:32 Introduction 04:48 Distinguishing Political Theory, Science, and Philosophy 12:02 Why Focus on the Left Rather than the Right? 27:33 The History of Equality on the Left 32:38The Origin of Identity Politics 44:19 Universalism and Cultural Marxism 50:48 How Did Identity Politics Spread So Fast? 58:16 Do Identity Politics Conflict with Psychology? 01:12:00 How Do We Escape Identity Politics? Robinson's Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support
Yascha Mounk, author of The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power In Our Time, sits down with Bridget to discuss the rise of a set of ideas about race, gender, and sexual orientation in the last 10 years that have changed the world. They talk about his worries over getting cancelled for writing the book, how the topic is slightly less controversial than it was 12 months ago, why the stakes are very high, how separating kids at school based on race will probably result in more racism not less, the truth about the Covid vaccine distribution, the allure of the identity trap and why it is counterproductive. They also cover the danger of being reactionary when your own side turns on you, why we need to construct our own understanding of opposing racism and operate from the point of view of our own principles and ideals, being accused of both-sidesism, the cultural appropriation debate, why we're going to be in this fight for the next 20 to 25 years, Yascha's definition of "woke," and how writing the book has given him greater clarity for how to articulate his own ideals.Bridget Phetasy admires grit and authenticity. On Walk-Ins Welcome, she talks about the beautiful failures and frightening successes of her own life and the lives of her guests. She doesn't conduct interviews—she has conversations. Conversations with real people about the real struggle and will remind you that we can laugh in pain and cry in joy but there's no greater mistake than hiding from it all. By embracing it all, and celebrating it with the stories she'll bring listeners, she believes that our lowest moments can be the building blocks for our eventual fulfillment.Beyond Parody with Bridget Phetasy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribe
Yascha Mounk, author of The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power In Our Time , sits down with Bridget to discuss the rise of a set of ideas about race, gender, and sexual orientation in the last 10 years that have changed the world. They talk about his worries over getting cancelled for writing the book, how the topic is slightly less controversial than it was 12 months ago, why the stakes are very high, how separating kids at school based on race will probably result in more racism not less, the truth about the Covid vaccine distribution, the allure of the identity trap and why it is counterproductive. They also cover the danger of being reactionary when your own side turns on you, why we need to construct our own understanding of opposing racism and operate from the point of view of our own principles and ideals, being accused of both-sidesism, the cultural appropriation debate, why we're going to be in this fight for the next 20 to 25 years, Yascha's definition of "woke," and how writing the book has given him greater clarity for how to articulate his own ideals. Sponsor Links: Miracle Made Sheets - https://bit.ly/WiW-MiracleMade Patriot Gold - Call 888-614-9238 The Jordan Harbinger Show - https://spoti.fi/3LhJBTP The Schaub Show - https://bit.ly/WiW-SchaubShow
Sam Harris speaks with Yascha Mounk about identity politics. They discuss Yascha's concept of the “identity synthesis,” skepticism about “cancel culture,” racial segregation in schools, the ideological change on college campuses, Michel Foucault and postmodernism, the rejection of universalism, Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, the “permanence of racism,” the indoctrination of children, intersectionality, white privilege, institutional racism, equity vs equality, racial preferences during the Covid pandemic, the asymmetric advantage of authoritarianism, class and elitism, affirmative action, media coverage of crime and violence, social media and the business model of mainstream journalism, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That's why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life's most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
Writer and academic Yascha Mounk argues that a new set of ideas about race, gender, and sexual orientation have overtaken society, giving rise to a rigid focus on identity in our national debate. In his new book, “The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time,” Yascha seeks to take these ideas seriously, understand their origin, dissect their merits and failings, and offer a path forward to avoid what he calls “the identity trap.” On today's show, Mounk previews his book and explains how the identity trap harms freedom of speech. Mounk is known for his work on the rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy. He is a professor of the practice of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University and the author of five books. He is also the founder of the digital magazine Persuasion, a contributing editor at The Atlantic, and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:35 - Origins of “the identity trap” 8:48 - What is “identity synthesis?” 12:26 - Is “cultural Marxism” a thing? / The intellectual history of identity synthesis 27:47 - Critical race theory 32:30 - Free speech culture 40:22 - Speech and violence 47:58 - The Law of Group Polarization 52:27 - How to escape the identity trap Discussed intellectuals: Derrick Bell Kimberlé Crenshaw Jacques Derrida Michel Foucault Christopher Rufo (Rufo's book, “America's Cultural Revolution,” and Nico's review, “Christopher Rufo Became the Thing He Claims to Hate”) Edward Said Jean-Paul Sartre Gayatri Spivak Cass Sunstein (article: “The Law of Group Polarization”) www.sotospeakpodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freespeechtalk Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechtalk/ Email us: sotospeak@thefire.org
Subscribe to The Realignment to access our exclusive Q&A episodes and support the show: https://realignment.supercast.com/REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/PURCHASE BOOKS AT OUR BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail Us: realignmentpod@gmail.comFoundation for American Innovation: https://www.thefai.org/posts/lincoln-becomes-faiYascha Mounk, author of The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, returns to The Realignment. Yascha and Marshall discuss how during the 2010s, postmodernism, postcolonialism, and critical race theory forged what he calls the "identity synthesis," why new conceptions of identity and social justice ultimately became counterproductive, and his belief that universal, humanist values are the best path towards true equality.
Johns Hopkins professor and political scientist Yascha Mounk returns to the podcast to chronicle how postmodernism, postcolonialism, and critical race theory came together to create a well-intentioned but counterproductive set of ideas around identity and social justice. Yascha and Andrew discuss universal values, intersecting identities, and how separating people by identity may have unintended consequences that could bolster right-wing extremism. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/z-ROfxXAe-A The Identity Trap - https://amzn.to/460HFsy Follow Yascha Mounk: https://yaschamounk.com | https://twitter.com/Yascha_Mounk Follow Andrew Yang: https://andrewyang.com | https://twitter.com/andrewyang To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How did we get tangled up in a knot of identity obsession, grievance, and one-upmanship? We can look to philosophers like Gayatri Spivak, Edward Said, Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw and, of course, Michel Foucault. And then we can blame it all on Tumblr! In his new book, The Identity Trap - A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, Yascha Mounk discusses his theory of “the identity synthesis” and traces how the once niche views about race, sexual orientation, and gender identity went from marginal to mainstream. In the bonus, we talk about Yascha's childhood, his feelings about his age, and his conception of happiness. (He recommends Jonathan Rauch's 2018 book The Happiness Curve.) GUEST BIO Yascha Mounk is a writer and academic who focuses on the crisis of democracy and the defense of liberal values. He has a BA in History from Trinity College Cambridge and a PhD in Government from Harvard University. Currently, he is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University. Yascha also writes for The Atlantic, is a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Founder of Persuasion. He has written five books, including The Identity Trap - A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, which explores the influence of new ideas about race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. His work has been published in various major publications, such as The New York Times and Foreign Affairs. Buy his new book here. Follow his substack, Persuasion. Listen to his podcast, The Good Fight. HOUSEKEEPING ☕️ Read my most recent article about The Free Press' debate.
Even after historic civil rights progress over the last sixty years, there's no denying that certain groups of people still face real, serious, and even systemic discrimination. In pursuit of justice, many well-meaning activists have made identity central to their cause—arguing, for example, that in order to right wrongs, rules and laws must treat people differently, not equally, depending on the groups to which they belong. Whatever you think of the term “wokeness,” this new ideology has spread like wildfire through academia, journalism, entertainment, governments, and corporations, radically changing politics, policy, and our public discourse. But what if they have missed the mark? What if crusading identitarianism is doing more harm than good? What if it's actually chipping away at some of the bedrock principles of our liberal democracy? If we want honest answers, we have to take these ideas seriously. In this two part series, host Ron Steslow and Yascha Mounk break down his new book, “The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.” In this second episode, they discuss how the identity synthesis moved from college classrooms, to Tumblr, to newsrooms and workplaces. They discuss the common “with us or against us” attitudes the identity synthesis produces and the infighting at progressive institutions over identity issues. They discuss the impact that “cancel culture” can have over trust in scientific research and why the identity synthesis isn't compatible with liberal democracy. Segments to look forward to: (01:14) How the identity synthesis moved from college classrooms, to Tumblr, to the workplace (10:40) The “with us or against us attitude” that dominates institutions overtaken by the identity synthesis (16:00) The crippling infighting at progressive institutions over identity issues (16:50) The identity synthesis and cancel culture (26:32) How cancel culture erodes trust in research and institutions (36:21) Why the identity synthesis is incompatible with liberal democracy (44:00) How to handle backlash Get the book: Order a hardcover copy: https://amzn.to/3PKN6pR Get the audiobook: https://amzn.to/3Ps7CKe Get it on Kindle: https://amzn.to/3rpAB9B Follow Ron and Yascha on X (previously Twitter): https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/Yascha_Mounk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Even after historic civil rights progress over the last sixty years, there's no denying that certain groups of people still face real, serious, and even systemic discrimination. In pursuit of justice, many well-meaning activists have made identity central to their cause—arguing, for example, that in order to right wrongs, rules and laws must treat people differently, not equally, depending on the groups to which they belong. Whatever you think of the term “wokeness,” this new ideology has spread like wildfire through academia, journalism, entertainment, governments, and corporations, radically changing politics, policy, and our public discourse. But what if they have missed the mark? What if crusading identitarianism is doing more harm than good? What if it's actually chipping away at some of the bedrock principles of our liberal democracy? If we want honest answers, we have to take these ideas seriously. In this two-part series, host Ron Steslow and Yascha Mounk break down his new book, “The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.” In this first episode, they discuss the rapidly changing meanings of words like “woke” and why Yascha coined the term “identity synthesis” to replace it. They look at the spread of the identity synthesis and how quickly it is changing our politics. They dive into the intellectual underpinnings of the identity synthesis and why Yascha decided to write the book now. Segments to look forward to: (04:21) Yascha's background (06:50) Why he decided to write this book (16:30) Why Yascha uses the term “trap” (21:40) The philosophical underpinnings of the “Identity Synthesis” Get the book: Order a hardcover copy: https://amzn.to/3PKN6pR Get the audiobook: https://amzn.to/3Ps7CKe Get it on Kindle: https://amzn.to/3rpAB9B Follow Ron and Yascha on X (previously Twitter): https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/Yascha_Mounk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Democracy Hipster - With Yascha MounkOh look, Yascha Mounk wrote another book. "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time" is really great (just like all the others), so we invited Yascha on to talk about democracy around the world in 2023, why identity politics is bad for everyone, post-liberalism on the right and left, Germany and Israel being BFFs, Donald Trump , social media, and the death of self critique.
Yascha Mounk is a writer and academic known for his work on the crisis of democracy and the defense of philosophically liberal values. His new book “The Identity Trap” traces the origins of identity politics and how it's rapidly transforming the modern world. He joined Rep. Crenshaw to discuss how identity politics grew out of postmodernism and Critical Race Theory. They talk about how postmodernists and populists are rejecting the history, institutions, and core values that make for a healthy democracy. And Yascha gives some sage advice on how to persuasively engage in debates with your political opponents. Yascha Mounk is the author of five books, including the forthcoming “The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.” He is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, where he holds appointments in both the School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute. Yascha is also a Contributing Editor at The Atlantic, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Founder of Persuasion. Follow him on Twitter at @Yascha_Mounk.
Political theorist, writer, and podcaster Yascha Mounk returns! Last time, we spoke about Yascha's last book: The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure. This time, Adaam got to air his personal grievances as we dove into the thorny topic of his latest book: The Identity Trap. Yascha covers a ton: he traces the intellectual history of the postmodern ideas that captured the academy in the 2010s; he explains how these once-fringe ideas subsequently infiltrated the mainstream Left; he puts the tenets of identity-based politics to the philosophical test (analyzing the logical strengths and weaknesses of ideas like standpoint theory and cultural appropriation); and he defends liberalism as the best political framework we have to dismantle the injustices of our current world order (the very thing lefties, with their identitarian tendencies, are supposedly trying to do). Of course, dear listener, we barely scratched the surface of all that in one hour. Instead, we got deep into Said, Spivak, and Foucault, panopticons and all — and so this conversation with Yascha continues soon, in part two.Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:- Cannibalism & grievances [0:00-6:05]- Who are you trying to persuade? [6:06-22:28]- The children of Foucault [22:29-38:11]- The Said/Spivak Pivot [38:12-47:13]- Strategic Essentialism [47:14-1:02:14]- The Woman Question [1:02:15-1:09:50]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
Yascha Mounk's latest book, “The Identity Trap,” explores the origins, consequences, and limitations of what has been called “wokeness” as well as the creation of the “identity synthesis”. Yascha joins David to explore his conception of the “identity synthesis”, the future of identity politics, where the conversation around identity becomes counter-productive, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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