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cover of episode Timothy Stacey, "Saving Liberalism from Itself: The Spirit of Political Participation" (Bristol UP, 2022)

Timothy Stacey, "Saving Liberalism from Itself: The Spirit of Political Participation" (Bristol UP, 2022)

2025/7/2
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Timothy Stacey: 我是一个跨学科的学者，主要研究如何让人们关心那些与他们没有直接利益关系的人，以及可以利用哪些文化技巧来创造社会团结。我对自由主义的理论批判不关注现实的人类体验，因此我采取民族志的方法，通过倾听和了解人们的生活和动机，为如何拯救自由主义提供切实的见解。我认为自由主义正处于危机之中，这既受到民粹主义和激进右翼的崛起的影响，也受到气候危机的挑战。我在攻读哲学神学硕士学位期间开始对这个话题感兴趣，我从小就接触到对自由现代性的后自由主义批判。自由主义在政治实践中未能与人类灵魂或人类参与的宗教维度产生共鸣。对自由主义的批判也适用于一些最理想的公民，即受过世俗大学教育、具有高度包容性的“觉醒”人士。拯救自由主义的手段不必来自外部，我们只需要关注那些从自由主义角度出发，从事良好社区导向工作的人的灵魂。我在伦敦和加拿大温哥华这两个高度自由主义的城市与社区组织者合作。我花了很多时间与他们一起工作，将不同背景的人聚集在一起，建立社会团结，并试图理解他们是如何做到的，他们利用了哪些叙事和实践。本书的特殊角度是强调宗教研究中的类别如何塑造这些人的生活，即魔法、神话、仪式和传统。

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This chapter explores the crisis of liberalism, analyzing its shortcomings and the rise of right-wing populism. It delves into the reasons behind liberalism's failure to engage the public and offers insights into potential solutions.
  • Rise of populism and climate crisis as simultaneous challenges to liberalism
  • Shortcomings of liberalism in engaging with the public's spirit
  • The need to reconnect with the spirited elements of politics (magic, myths, rituals) to save liberalism

Shownotes Transcript

Saving Liberalism from Itself: The Spirit of Political Participation )Bristol UP, 2022) By Timothy Stacey)

In the wake of populism, Timothy Stacey’s book critically reflects on what is missing from the liberal project with the aim of saving liberalism.

It explains that populists have harnessed myth, ritual, magic and tradition to advance their ambitions, and why opponents need to embrace rather than eschew them. Using examples of liberally oriented activists in Vancouver, it presents an accessible theorization of these quasi-religious concepts in secular life.

The result is to provide both a new theoretical understanding of why liberalism fails to engage people, and a toolkit for campaigners, policymakers and academics seeking to bridge the gap between liberal aspirations and lived experiences, in order to promote political engagement and to create unity out of division.

Timothy Stacey is Researcher in the Urban Future Studio at Utrecht University.

Morteza Hajizadeh) is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature.

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos)

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