Why Liberalism Failed

The roots of liberalism as an explicitly conceived political philosophy can be traced back to the 16th century. From the beginning, liberalism was the foundation of the American political system, which was devoted to upholding human beings as individuals with pre-given rights capable of pursuing some version of a good life. However, when one looks around today, America does not seem to be a vibrantly healthy place: “The signs of the times suggest that much is wrong with America. A growing chorus of voices even warn that we may be witnessing the end of the Republic unfolding before our eyes” (2).

Deneen argues that liberalism is beginning to fail because it has succeeded. By implanting itself deep into the American psyche and its institutions, “its inner logic has become more evident and its self-contradictions manifest, it has generated pathologies that are at once deformations of its claims yet realizations of liberal ideology” (3). Based on the evidence, there is a legitimate reason to wonder if America is heading toward its inevitable demise rather than beginning to blossom.

In the 20th century, three competing political ideologies dominated—fascism, communism, and liberalism—and liberalism is the only one that has resulted in widespread acclaim, success, and approval.