The Demon in Democracy cover art

The Demon in Democracy

Totalitarian Temptations in Free Societies

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The Demon in Democracy

By: Ryszard Legutko, John O'Sullivan, Teresa Adelson
Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
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About this listen

Ryszard Legutko lived and suffered under communism for decades - and he fought with the Polish anti-communist movement to abolish it. Having lived for two decades under a liberal democracy, however, he has discovered that these two political systems have a lot more in common than one might think. They both stem from the same historical roots in early modernity, and accept similar presuppositions about history, society, religion, politics, culture, and human nature.

In The Demon in Democracy, Legutko explores the shared objectives between these two political systems, and explains how liberal democracy has, over time, lurched towards the same goals as communism, albeit without Soviet-style brutality.

Both systems, says Legutko, reduce human nature to that of the common man, who is led to believe himself liberated from the obligations of the past. Both the communist man and the liberal democratic man refuse to admit that there exists anything of value outside the political systems to which they pledged their loyalty. And both systems refuse to undertake any critical examination of their ideological prejudices.

©2016 Ryszard Legutko (P)2017 Tantor Eastern Europe Political Science Politics & Government Liberalism Socialism Capitalism Soviet Union Social justice

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All stars
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A brilliant examination of how communism rebadged itself as "liberal democracy" and took over the world

Brilliant book

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Western civilization stands on the precipice of unprecedented success or collapse. This book helps nudge us towards success. A must read.

Very important and timely book

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For Legutko, the ideology ruling the modern West is "liberal democracy". (Perhaps "neo-Marxism" would be a more descriptive term for it.) He critiques this ideology, while revealing key similarities between it and Leninist Communism.

Deconstructing today's ruling ideology

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Interesting comparison of mindsets common to modern liberals and communists. However, it does not refer to any earlier critiques of liberalism and democracy.

Fresh and interesting look at the shortcomings of liberal democracy.

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