Going Low: How Profane Politics Challenges American Democracy

Right-wing figures in the Trump era have embraced an offensive style of contemporary politics that challenges liberal democratic institutions. Finbarr Curtis argues that this spectacle of brazenly violating taboos is a show of dominance over a supposedly censorious liberalism. He suggests that deliberate offensiveness dovetails with the privatization of public goods and the refusal to accommodate the sensibilities of others in a diverse society. Going Low offers a series of essays that recast recent controversies and reveal why illiberalism has turned to profane politics for a profane age.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 05 July 2022
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Liberalism is founded on the principles of civil discourse and rational argument, values that its opponents often disregard. In the era of Donald Trump and beyond, right-wing figures revel in sheer offensiveness, seeking to undermine liberal democratic institutions. This book delves into the consequences of this offensive style of contemporary politics, examining how it challenges liberal democratic norms.

Finbarr Curtis, in his work, draws on insights from religious studies to reexamine the concept of provocation and transgression. He argues that the spectacle of brazenly violating taboos is a display of dominance over a supposedly censorious liberalism. Profaning liberal pieties, according to Curtis, is the ultimate form of "winning." He suggests that deliberate offensiveness aligns with the privatization of public goods, as both represent a refusal to accommodate the sensibilities of others in a diverse society.

Going Low presents a collection of essays that analyze recent controversies, such as Trump's reality-TV presidency, white evangelical accusations of liberal bigotry, bakers who refuse to bake cakes for LGBTQ weddings, and hostility towards the activism of athletes and college students. These essays shed new light on contemporary political discourse and provide insight into why illiberalism has resorted to profane politics in a profane age.

In conclusion, Liberalism places its faith in civil discourse and rational argument, but its opponents often flout these norms, embracing sheer offensiveness. Going Low examines the consequences of this offensive style of contemporary politics, highlighting how it challenges liberal democratic institutions and perpetuates divisions in society. By reexamining provocation and transgression through the lens of religious studies, Curtis offers a fresh perspective on the role of offensiveness in contemporary politics and its implications for the future of liberal democracy.

Dimension: 216 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231205726