Change Quote by Kurt Andersen
““Conservatives are correct in pointing out that the anything-goes relativism of the campuses wasn’t sequestered there, but when it flowed out across America, it helped enable extreme Christianities and consequential lunacies on the right—gun rights hysteria, black helicopter conspiracism, climate change denial, and more. The term useful idiot was originally used to accuse liberals of serving the interests of true believers further left. In this instance, however, postmodern intellectuals—postpositivists, poststructuralists, social constructivists, postempiricists, epistemic relativists, cognitive relativists, descriptive relativists—turned out to be useful idiots for the American right.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Relativism of Campus Culture, The Atlantic, 2019
Postmodern relativism on campuses spilled into broader society, fueling extreme right‑wing movements and conspiracies.
In simple terms: Campus ideas spread and unintentionally empower radical right politics.
Key Takeaway
Critically evaluate ideas before they become mainstream.
Themes
politics
culture
relativism
extremism
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
op‑ed
political
When to use this quote
- political debates
- media analysis
- academic discourse
- public policy
Key Concepts
epistemology
media influence
ideological drift
Questions to Reflect On
- How does relativism affect public discourse?
- What responsibilities do scholars have in shaping ideas?
A Different Perspective
Complex issues cannot be reduced to simple blame; nuance is required.
![“If you hear some bad collectivistic notions, chances are that they came from [modern] liberals. But if you hear or read something outrageously, god-awfully collectivistic, you may be sure that the author is a conservative.” quote by Isabel Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bc9/isabel-paterson-11023_books_if-you-hear-some-bad-collectivistic-noti_1252452.jpg)
