No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history.
William HazlittRead
Modern liberalism, for most liberals is not a consciously understood set of rational beliefs, but a bundle of unexamined prejudices and conjoined sentiments. The basic ideas and beliefs seem more satisfactory when they are not made fully explicit, when they merely lurk rather obscurely in the background, coloring the rhetoric and adding a certain emotive glow.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Modern liberalism often consists of unexamined beliefs and sentiments rather than rational thought.
In this quote, James Burnham suggests that many liberals may not be fully aware of the foundational beliefs that underpin their ideology. Instead, these beliefs linger in the subconscious, influencing their rhetoric and emotional responses without being critically examined, which can lead to a lack of clarity and rationality in their approach to liberalism.
Themes
LiberalismBeliefsPrejudiceSentimentsRhetoric
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about political ideologies, you might use this quote to emphasize the importance of critical thinking.
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