Backgrounds Quote by James Burnham
“Modern liberalism, for most liberals is not a consciously understood set of rational beliefs, but a bundle of unexamined prejudices and conjoined sentiments. The basic ideas and beliefs seem more satisfactory when they are not made fully explicit, when they merely lurk rather obscurely in the background, coloring the rhetoric and adding a certain emotive glow.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Managerial Elite, James Burnham, 1977
Modern liberalism is often an implicit set of biases rather than a clearly articulated belief system, influencing discourse subconsciously.
In simple terms: Liberal ideas act as hidden biases shaping opinions.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and examine underlying assumptions.
Themes
politics
ideology
psychology
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- public debate
- policy making
- media analysis
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
bias
implicit cognition
social influence
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions do you hold without questioning?
- How do these biases affect your decisions?
A Different Perspective
These hidden biases can be hard to articulate, limiting honest critique.
![“I explain how America hatred and Jew hatred are [INDEMIC] to Modern Liberalism and delve deeper into why it is the otherwise good and decent people will INVARIABLY side with evil over good, wrong over right and the behaviors that lead to failure over those that lead to success.” quote by Evan Sayet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ea4/evan-sayet-23439_america_i-explain-how-america-hatred-and-jew-hat_174352.jpg)
![“[John Stuart] Mill held that truth emerges from an unfettered competition of ideas and that individual character is most improved when allowed to find its own way uncoerced. That vision was insufficient for 20th-century American liberalism...Modern liberalism's perfectionist ambitions--reflected…” quote by Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ec8/charles-krauthammer-1232_truth_john-stuart-mill-held-that-truth-emerges_609228.jpg)
