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What happens when political cruelty becomes a style—and eventually a habit? Aaron and Jason are joined by Alan Elrod, columnist at Liberal Currents and founder of the Pulaski Institution, for a conversation about “dirtbagism,” political cynicism, sincerity, and the emotional foundations of liberal politics. They begin with Alan’s critique of a style of left-wing politics that treats cruelty, transgression, and contempt as acceptable—or even politically useful—so long as they are deployed in service of the right cause. But the conversation quickly broadens into a deeper question: Can we separate the way we practice politics from the kind of politics we ultimately create? Alan argues that politics is about much more than policy. It is also made up of affect, aesthetics, relationships, and habits of attention. The ways we speak about opponents, the communities we build online, and the emotions we cultivate all help shape our political world. The conversation turns from dirtbagism to the surprising virtues of “cringe”: earnestness, enthusiasm, sincerity, and the willingness to care openly about things without worrying about appearing cool. Aaron connects this to the tradition of the New Sincerity and to the dangers of political doomerism, while Jason asks whether a more emotionally positive liberal politics can actually compete in an environment dominated by outrage and antagonism. They also discuss why policy success alone is rarely enough to sustain a political movement; how social media can erode empathy and our sense of other people as full human beings; the importance of in-person civic life; and why rebuilding liberal democracy ultimately requires learning to live alongside people with whom we profoundly disagree. The episode ends with a case for understanding ordinary community life—book clubs, art nights, conversations with neighbors, participation in local institutions—not as something separate from politics, but as part of the practice of building the kind of society liberalism needs. Topics include: Dirtbag politics and the appeal of cruelty; sincerity and “cringe”; political emotion and affect; cynicism and doomerism; social media and empathy; why policy is not enough; community and civic life; justice versus vengeance; political reconciliation; and liberalism as a practice of living together. Alan Elrod is a weekly columnist at Liberal Currents and runs the Pulaski Institution, a nonprofit focused on democracy in America’s heartland. Learn more about The Inner Life of Liberalism and support the broader Liberal Practice project at liberalpractice.org Produced by Landry Ayres

Today, we have a special bonus episode. One of the ways that we say thanks to the show's patrons is to release a bonus episode every few months. And we thought that we'd share the first of these episodes with everyone as a sort of taste of what's to come. Our guest is Theodore Schatzki of the University of Kentucky and one of the world's leading authorities on social practices. In fact, Ted quite literally wrote the book on social practices, and it's a book that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. A few years ago a ranking of citations of philosophers put Ted as the thirteenth most cited philosopher in the world, which gives you a sense of his enormous impact in the study of ontology and sociology. I interviewed Ted about his book, the basics of social ontology, and why practices are a helpful way to explore the nature of social life. We hope you enjoy. The Inner Life of Liberalism is produced by ⁠Landry Ayres⁠.

On today's episode of The Inner Life of Liberalism, Jason S. Canon and Aaron Ross Powell are joined by Christina Bambrick of the University of Notre Dame to discuss her recent book, Constitutionalising the Private Sphere, as well as virtue, constitutional design, and how the two interact in America and abroad. The Inner Life of Liberalism is produced by Landry Ayres.

Today, Jason talks with Aaron about the new book Aaron recently finished writing on the relationship between personal and public flourishing. The Inner Life of Liberalism is produced by Landry Ayres.

Today, Jason and Aaron talk with with Christian Miller, a philosopher at Wake Forest University. Christian's new book is titled The Honesty Crisis, and we get to that crisis in the second half of the show. But we start by asking Christian about the virtue of honesty itself, what it feels like to be an honest person, how we come to deceive ourselves, and the challenges of studying just how honest people actually are. The Inner Life of Liberalism is produced by ⁠Landry Ayres⁠.

Welcome to the Inner Life of Liberalism, a new podcast exploring how a better life and a freer world are built from the same practices. Hosted by Jason Canon and Aaron Ross Powell. Today's episode is an introduction to our Liberal Practices project, why we're launching this show, and what you can expect from future episodes. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope that you’ll join us on this journey. Links: Jason's blog and BlueskyAaron's blog and BlueskyInner Life of Liberalism Patreon The Inner Life of Liberalism is produced by ⁠Landry Ayres⁠.

The Inner Life of Liberalism is a podcast exploring how a better life and a freer world are built from the same practices, and how habits of attention, care, and openness shape both who we are and the kind of society we create. From Jason Canon and Aaron Ross Powell.