Liberalism and Western Civilization
Dr. Ricardo Duchesne recently published a phenomenal book, Greatness and Ruin: Self-Reflection and Universalism within European Civilization.
C.J. Miller published an excellent Interview with Prof. Ricardo Duchesne on "Greatness and Ruin", Unz Review, 8 July 2025.
This lengthy interview will be worthwhile reading to anyone interested in the course of Western Civilization. The first part discusses Duchesne's background as one who initially embraced Marxism, then eventually turned toward conservatism. He states that he came to believe that humanity’s highest achievements are incongruous with inclusivity and leftist ideologies.
He states that his admiration and identification with Western cultural and intellectual heritage precipitates concern for our future, noting that:
Civilizations have declined in the past, like China, Japan, and India, but they have managed to rise again. The West will never again be the West in a few decades if trends are not reversed. The argument for endless immigration, Black and brown pride, and White compliance, goes against my sense of fairness, pride, and dignity.
Duchesne observes that his book The Uniqueness of Western Civilization was well-received because it focused on demographic, cultural, economic, and geographical factors without drawing on race realism - that is, on inherent genetic differences between races.
He notes that the standard conservative view of liberalism is that the West has come to be dominated by a cultural Marxist ideology. Yet he now realizes that liberalism is a force unto its own, stating that:
Only in recent years did I reach the view that liberal capitalism has a universalist progressive logic, and that this logic eventually pushed it towards open borders and racial diversity, after past traditional norms and identities were seriously weakened.
Historical perspective
Duchesne notes that the West's distinctiveness stretches back to ancient times and is by no means universally replicable, stating:
I rejected the notion that Western liberal values are universal tools that any culture, regardless of history or ethnicity, can adopt. These values, along with the West’s broader achievements, are uniquely Western, inseparable from its historical and cultural trajectory.
Westerners created civic associations, free from kinship networks and norms because they were psychologically different. These traits emerged in the Middle Ages after the Catholic Church dismantled kinship networks and imposed monogamy. This fostered civic institutions grounded in merit rather than tribal loyalties. Duchesne emphasizes that:
Liberal institutions did not create liberal individuals; rather, liberal individuals created liberal institutions.
Duchesne notes that a historical perspective is required to properly understand the West, stating that:
Liberalism is inherently a progressive ideology that seeks the full emancipation of individuals from pregiven collective identities, whether traditional or biological...
... liberalism is the West’s dominant ideology. This led me to conclude that wokeness is not a new leftist or "cultural Marxist" phenomenon, but the culmination of liberalism's progressive logic.
Magic dirt
Duchesne observes that:
Western traits for intentionality, trust of strangers, and lack of ingroup identity are too deeply wired into the psychology of Europeans to be replicated among non-western peoples simply through proper socialization.
In other words, there is no "magic dirt"; importing people from a foreign culture onto Western soil does not make them instantaneous Westerners in heart and mind.
He notes that genetics matter, and populations with low average IQ can't attain the profound inwardness or introspection required as a characteristic of Western Civilization.
Duchesne observes that liberalism has eviscerated every tradition which has sustained Western societies for many centuries.
Post-nationalism
He also points out that we are now in a "post-national" stage, where Western states have been delinked from specific ethnic groups and cultural traditions. He attributes this not to the conventional view of a Marxist march through the institutions, but rather as the progressive unfolding of liberalism.
Today things are falling apart. Increasing diversity certainly has not lead toward increasing harmony. However, Duchesne is optimistic, writing:
My optimism, then, is based on the failure of liberal multiculturalism, though I don’t see a way out within the order of liberalism, and believe the West must experience the most revolutionary changes witnessed in history to transcend its current reality.
In summary, Duchesne's insightful main points are:
- Western civilization is historically and psychologically unique.
- Liberalism is a force unto itself with its own trajectory, not just a venture into the realm of neo-Marxism.
- Liberal multiculturalism has failed dramatically, and it will require revolutionary changes to regain our footing.