Modern WisdomSocialism & Postmodernism For Dummies | Stephen Hicks | Modern Wisdom Podcast 171
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:19
Defining postmodernism by contrast with “modernity”
Hicks frames postmodernism as a stance that comes “after” and seeks to replace modernity. He stresses that big political-philosophical labels are high-level abstractions that require careful definition and historical context.
- •Why terms like “postmodernism” and “socialism” are hard to define cleanly
- •“Post-” as a replacement for the modern project, not merely a time period
- •Different disciplines use “modernism” differently; Hicks uses a philosophical-historical meaning
- 2:19 – 3:50
What the modern world is: the last 500 years of Western revolutions
Hicks locates modernity in the transformative period beginning around the Renaissance and early modern era. He cites exploration, art, science, and religious upheavals as the foundations of the modern worldview.
- •Columbus/globalization as a civilizational shift
- •Renaissance art as a model of innovation and human focus
- •Scientific revolutions (anatomy, Copernicus) changing knowledge
- •Reformation politics and religion reshaping institutions
- 3:50 – 4:51
Postmodernism’s critique: modernity ended—and was a mistake
Postmodernists, in Hicks’ telling, argue that the modern project has run its course and produced harmful outcomes. They aim to move society beyond modern values and institutions.
- •Claim that modern revolutions have become pathological or disastrous
- •Rejection of modern capitalism and liberal-democratic politics
- •Suspicion of “progress” narratives and modern institutions
- 4:51 – 7:59
What postmodernists reject: markets, liberal democracy, science, and individualism
Hicks lists the major modern pillars postmodernists attack and connects these rejections to contemporary cultural and political tactics. He links postmodern thinking to identity politics and coercive/authoritarian social enforcement.
- •Anti-capitalism and anti-free market critiques (exploitation, inequality)
- •Anti-liberal democracy and drift toward authoritarian tactics
- •Attacks on science as gendered/racialized (“male/White ways of thinking”)
- •Opposition to individualism; prioritizing group identity over persons
- 7:59 – 8:37
Key figures and the ‘big picture’ subversion of Western modernity
The discussion names early postmodern intellectuals and characterizes them as well-educated critics attempting a wholesale inversion of modern assumptions. The emphasis is on their comprehensive, foundational skepticism.
- •First-generation postmodernists: Foucault, Derrida, Rorty
- •High-level intellectual project originating in universities
- •“Subverting and rejecting” modernity at the level of fundamentals
- 8:37 – 12:08
Socialism as prioritizing the social over the individual (beyond economics)
Hicks defines socialism as a broad ethical-political commitment: the group’s needs take precedence over individual judgment and goals. He contrasts this with individualist approaches to association and disagreement.
- •Socialism as social primacy: individual subordinated to group decisions
- •Individualism as associations formed to serve individual flourishing
- •Religious analogy: Catholic institutional priority vs Protestant individual conscience
- 12:08 – 13:50
Economic implications: markets as emergent order vs centralized allocation
Hicks maps the philosophical difference onto economic organization. Individualism yields decentralized market coordination, while socialism implies societal-level institutions deciding production and distribution.
- •Free markets: autonomous buyers/sellers creating emergent coordination
- •Socialism: centralized decisions about what’s made and who gets what
- •Shift from personal responsibility to compliance with collective plans
- 13:50 – 16:28
Why ‘socialism’ carries baggage in politics: history, slurs, and education gaps
Chris notes political labels are used as insults; Hicks argues that historical track records inevitably load these words with emotional weight. He emphasizes that serious judgment requires knowledge of socialist theory and practice.
- •Election cycles incentivize slogans over nuance
- •Labels accumulate baggage because history matters
- •The need for schools/universities to prepare citizens pre-election
- 16:28 – 18:56
20th-century socialist experiments: authoritarianism, repression, and poverty
Hicks highlights the USSR, Maoist China, and other cases as cautionary examples. He argues the scale and coercion of state socialism produced severe human rights abuses and economic failure.
- •Soviet Union as a long authoritarian socialist experiment
- •Mass killings, repression, and impoverishment as outcomes
- •China under Mao: famine and political violence
- •Cuba/other regional examples reinforcing negative associations
- 18:56 – 25:28
Why socialism appeals anyway: idealism, naivety, and the promise of a wise state
Hicks explains socialism’s attraction for younger or less historically informed people: a comforting promise that government can manage resources and guarantee security. The segment pivots to civic responsibility and the work of becoming informed.
- •Socialism’s pitch: concentrate power to ensure everyone is cared for
- •Idealism vs practical incentives and institutional realities
- •“Don’t vote yet” until you’ve studied history/economics (provocative claim)
- •Education as the preparation for responsible democratic participation
- 25:28 – 30:37
Can socialism work at any scale? Freedom, bureaucracy, and moral agency
Hicks argues large societies require decentralized freedom and voluntary coordination, while state planning becomes bureaucratic and abuse-prone. He also frames the debate as moral: dignity and self-responsibility vs paternalistic control.
- •Large-scale coordination works better via voluntary networks and markets
- •Central planning concentrates power and tends toward dictatorship
- •Moral critique: socialism as condescending toward individual agency
- •Qualified concession: small, committed communities can sustain communal living
- 30:37 – 39:12
The ‘slippage’ from commune to nation-state: scale, enforcement, and minority rights
The conversation explores why small communes can function while nation-scale socialism becomes coercive. Hicks emphasizes enforcement problems, delegation, power entrenchment, and the need for constitutional limits to protect individuals.
- •Scale problem: consensus becomes impossible beyond small group sizes
- •Delegated committees accumulate power and protect their status
- •Majoritarian suppression of minorities without strong rights protections
- •Liberal checks and balances and “off-limits” rights vs socialist totalization
- 39:12 – 45:14
Postmodernism after socialism’s failures: a strategy for true believers—and beyond the left
Hicks introduces his thesis: postmodernism rose as a rhetorical/intellectual adaptation when socialism’s arguments and results looked increasingly indefensible. He also notes postmodern-style group-identity thinking appears on the far right via nationalism/ethnic collectivism.
- •First-generation postmodernists were largely far-left/socialist oriented
- •When evidence turns, some revise beliefs; others ‘double down’ with new strategies
- •Religion analogy: reaffirming faith through deflection rather than revision
- •Postmodern methods adopted by far-right national/ethnic collectivists too
- 45:14 – 53:35
Ego, intellectual honesty, and publicly admitting error (a practical antidote)
Chris and Hicks shift from ideology to psychology: why people double down when wrong and how ego drives polarization. They propose practicing public concession as a strength-building exercise for truth-seeking discourse.
- •Cognitive biases and ego threat fuel escalation in arguments
- •Moral choice: attend to evidence, logic, and complexity
- •Experiment: practice saying “you’re right, I’m wrong” in public discussions
- •Strength as the capacity to revise beliefs; parallels with athletic skill development
- 53:35 – 56:47
Closing: Hicks’ ‘Liberalism, Pro and Con’ as a primer for political literacy
Hicks explains his book’s structure: presenting strong arguments both for and against liberalism to help readers think responsibly. The episode closes with a call for education, intellectual humility, and continued study before political certainty.
- •A methodological “primer,” not a one-sided manifesto
- •15 pro-liberal and 15 anti-liberal arguments with primary-source quotations
- •Goal: equip readers with the main arguments before choosing positions
- •Outro thanks and references to Hicks’ works and platforms
