In which we discuss the work of the late Domenico Losurdo, especially his brilliant Liberalism: A Counter-History. Part of an ongoing series on the contradictions of liberalism, we debate whether Losurdo is right to point to liberalism's complicity with slavery, racism and colonialism. Why were arguments for self-rule often accompanied by justifications for slavery? Why were some liberal abolitionist arguments in favour of despotism?
We tie these discussions into contemporary paradoxes of liberalism and ask why liberalism is unable to realise its own values.
Reading:
Liberalism: A Counter-History (book) https://www.versobooks.com/books/960-liberalism
Obituary of Losurdo (Jacobin) https://jacobinmag.com/2018/07/domenico-losurdo-italian-marxism-counter-history
Excerpt: /124/ Three Articles: Money & Power
/123/ Mr Bunga Goes to Washington (2) ft. Nicholas Kiersey
Excerpt: /122/ TFW NO GF
UNLOCKED /120/ Damaged Beyond Repair? ft. Anton Jäger
/121/ Those Murdering Bastards ft. Vincent Bevins
Excerpt: /120/ Damaged Beyond Repair ft. Anton Jäger
Excerpt: /119/ Reading Club: Digital Socialism
Excerpt: /118/ Three Articles: Covid
/117/ Against The Virus ft. John McAfee
/116/ Mr Bunga Goes to Washington (1) ft. Nick Frayn
Excerpt: /115/ Singapore Shangri-La ft. Lee Jones
Excerpt: /114/ Reading Club: The Light That Failed
/113/ Globoville ft. Richard Williams
Excerpt: /112/ Ideologies of the Near Future
/111/ Big Money Talk: The Case for MMT ft. Bill Mitchell
Excerpt: /110/ Three Articles: De-democratising
/109/ Bunga Goes Ballard ft. Simon Sellars
/108/ Coronageddon? ft. Mark Honigsbaum / Lee Jones
/107/ Ireland’s Return to History ft. Colin Coulter
Excerpt: /106/ The Endless Scrolling of Cinema ft. Maren Thom
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