In this episode of our ‘Occasional Dialogues’ series, Kurt Hofer interviews historian Claire Rydell Arcenas, the author of America’s Philosopher: John Locke in American Intellectual Life. They discuss the impetus behind writing the book, Locke’s place in contemporary political life, and the ‘New Right’ critiques of Locke.
More than any other ideological current in the political landscape, libertarianism exhibits a phenomenal penchant for splinter-grouping. Today, they pitch a big tent shared by abortion advocates, drug legalizers, Rothbard-inspired anarcho-capitalists, and Ayn Rand objectivists.
The critiques of postliberals are all useful correctives in this regard. Nonetheless, conservative scholars—and perhaps even more so conservative politicians—must beware the potential perils of embracing postliberalism as a term and concept.
