Regime Change

Toward a Postliberal Future

By: Patrick J. Deneen

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

From Notre Dame professor and author of Why Liberalism Failed comes a provocative call for replacing the tyranny of the self-serving liberal elite with conservative leaders aligned with the interests of the working class

Classical liberalism promised to overthrow the old aristocracy, creating an order in which individuals could create their own identities and futures. To some extent it did—but it has also demolished the traditions and institutions that nourished ordinary people and created a new and exploitative ruling class. This class’s economic libertarianism, progressive values, and technocratic commitments have led them to rule for the benefit of the “few” at the expense of the “many,” precipitating our current political crises.

In Regime Change, Patrick Deneen proposes a bold plan for replacing the liberal elite and the ideology that created and empowered them. Grass-roots populist efforts to destroy the ruling class altogether are naive; what’s needed is the strategic formation of a new elite devoted to a “pre-postmodern conservatism” and aligned with the interest of the “many.” Their top-down efforts to form a new governing philosophy, ethos, and class could transform our broken regime from one that serves only the so-called meritocrats.

Drawing on the oldest lessons of the western tradition but recognizing the changed conditions that arise in liberal modernity, Deneen offers a roadmap for these changes, offering hope for progress after “progress” and liberty after liberalism.

©2023 Patrick J. Deneen (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A brilliant and clarifying success, identifying a set of mechanisms by which a postliberal order might come into being. Here, as in Why Liberalism Failed, Deneen’s views will become the fixed center around which the debate revolves.”—Adrian Vermeule, Ralph S. Tyler, Jr. Professor of Constitutional Law, Harvard Law School

“This creative and courageous book takes us to the core of the American impasse. Deneen’s common-good conservatism is a gallant effort to preserve crucial aspects of our desiccated democratic tradition.”—Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice, Union Theological Seminary

"Regime Change offers a sober assessment of where we are and a way forward that will challenge ideologues on all sides of the political maelstrom.”—Mary Harrington, author of Feminism Against Progress

A bold, unflinching critique of secular greed

Deneen knows well what he’s doing — calling out the Me generation that validated the “Greed is good” apostasy of the 1980s, rather than flatly rejecting it like the Nehru jacket….as we should have. We were tempted, and we bit. Most of us got no more than cheap gadgets and toys, but 1% of us got rich as Croesus. Now that they are, indeed, masters of the universe, it will not be easy to go back. But Deneen at least lays out a convincing description of what we might gain if we could find a way to take control back from the money men — less cultural antagonism and more communitarian goals.

Interesting and thoughtful book read too fast

Patrick Deneen has written a thoughtful book of political philosophy. It begins with a critique of our current system and how we got here and then he moves on to his proposed solution of common-good conservatism. It is a book to be read and pondered. He writes using more academic language so some readers might have some initial struggles. Also, the reader, while a pleasant voice, doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of a common and must have a bet with someone on how fast he can read the book.

The final chapter is worth the read

I think Deneen’s criticisms of the Founders can be somewhat over the top, however, his overall point stands. Liberalism has led us down a path of isolationism and consumerism. There is no such thing as a neutral government and the solutions to our current crisis are not merely cultural but also political.
The final chapter is very good! Worth the read just for that.

A New Political Vision

This is a book of ideas which has little home in the cushy halls of Washington...

Which is precisely what makes it a breath of fresh air in the acrid cloud of modern day politics.

Again and again, Deneen shows us how the political ideology of liberalism has brought social degeneration and cultural atrophy, and exacerbated modern day class politics.

In this work, Deneen finally proposes ideas to begin a new political programme. He holds very few punches. I find his best idea captured in his own phrase, 'Aristotelian ends through Machiavellian means'

You can already see the sweat forming on the faces of our political overclass.

You may hate his ideas, you may love them, but they cannot be avoided any longer.

Give Deneen's book a listen (with a good narrator) and decide for yourself.

Reader sounds like AI

This is one of the worst book readings I've ever heard -- seriously, did they just feed the book into text-to-speech? Sheesh. Hire a decent professional next time.

As far as the writing, the book is OK.