Circling Liberalism’s Wagons | Interview: Adrian Wooldridge

In this episode of The Remnant, Jonah Goldberg interviews Adrian Wooldridge, global business columnist at Bloomberg and author of 'The Revolutionary Center: The Lost Genius of American Liberalism.' Wooldridge presents a broad, capacious definition of liberalism as a dynamic, self-adjusting philosophy rooted in individualism, tolerance, and limitations on power—distinct from both modern left-wing progressivism and classical free-market conservatism. He argues that liberalism, while historically tied to Christian civilization, is not uniquely Western and can flourish in other cultural contexts. The conversation explores liberalism’s vulnerabilities today, including the erosion of individualism due to tech monopolies, the crisis of liberal education, and the failure to manage immigration and assimilation effectively. Wooldridge contends that liberalism must evolve to address these challenges without abandoning its core principles, advocating for a renewed cultural commitment to liberal values and institutional self-confidence. Goldberg pushes back on the idea of liberalism as a coherent theory, suggesting it functions more as a living culture than a rigid ideology, and questions whether the book’s expansive definition risks a 'no true Scotsman' fallacy. The discussion culminates in a shared recognition that liberalism’s survival depends not on doctrinal purity but on sustained, self-critical conversation and civilizational confidence.