Feminist and Populist Critiques of Liberalism

Liberalism focuses on individual rights while treating the private sphere as separate from politics, ignoring issues like domestic violence and unpaid caregiving, which disproportionately impact women and limit their participation in public life.

Early liberalism, even by progressive thinkers, often viewed women as emotional and suited for domestic roles, excluding them from full citizenship and viewing them as guardians of societal morality.

Liberal equality often focuses on masculine norms, failing to address unique challenges for women such as unequal pay, sexual harassment, and caregiving burdens. It assumes a level playing field that doesn't exist.

Mills critiques liberalism for historically tying personhood and citizenship to whiteness, using the 'racial contract' to exclude and oppress people of color. This built-in racism allowed for systems to benefit white people.

Ideal theory assumes a fair society without considering the historical injustices of slavery, colonialism, and systemic racism. This ignores the realities of oppression and creates a misleading picture.

Heroic demagogues use rhetoric to uplift democratic values, affirm human dignity, and solve problems through debate and consent. They encourage debate while protecting civil liberties and discouraging violence.

Dangerous demagogues manipulate public opinion with lies, weaponized communication, and coercion. They undermine democratic values and use violence to silence opposition.

A tactic used by demagogues to highlight something by pretending to not mention it, while evading responsibility for the claim.

An attack that targets the character of an opponent instead of evaluating their arguments, aimed at discrediting them and diverting attention from substantive discussion.

Populists define 'the people' as a superior group aligned with the leader, excluding elites and minorities, to create an 'us vs. them' dynamic.

Populists suppress opposition by claiming to represent a specific true majority, often undermining pluralism and judicial independence to secure their power.

Populists bypass political parties and media to erode their role as checks on power and directly connect with 'the people', often using social media to attack traditional institutions.

Fascism abolishes elections, suppresses freedoms, and uses state violence to silence dissent, while populism distorts democratic processes without abolishing elections.

Demagogues reject accountability and distort public sentiment to consolidate power, for example, spreading disinformation to discredit opponents or manipulate elections.