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Tyler Cowen: Is Classical Liberalism for Losers?
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Tyler Cowen: Is Classical Liberalism for Losers?
America’s founding fathers sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. (Photo by Art Images via Getty Images; Illustration by The Free Press.)
For many on the right, the past decade has proven that liberalism is not strong enough to fight off illiberal challengers. They say it’s time to strike back—and use the power of the state.
By Tyler Cowen
05.05.25 — U.S. Politics
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Tyler Cowen: Is Classical Liberalism for Losers?
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Are classical liberals a bunch of pathetic losers? Losers both because they have lost in the political realm, while simultaneously handing over key institutions to the illiberal left?

That is a common charge you hear from right-wing intellectuals these days, as exemplified by commentators such as Patrick Deneen, Adrian Vermeule, Sohrab Ahmari, Christopher Rufo, and others.

Their argument is twofold.

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Tyler Cowen
Tyler Cowen is Holbert L. Harris Professor of Economics at George Mason University and also Faculty Director of the Mercatus Center. He received his PhD in economics from Harvard University in 1987. His book The Great Stagnation: How America Ate the Low-Hanging Fruit of Modern History, Got Sick, and Will (Eventually) Feel Better was a New York Times best-seller. He was named in an Economist poll as one of the most influential economists of the last decade and Bloomberg Businessweek dubbed him "America's Hottest Economist." Foreign Policy magazine named him as one of its "Top 100 Global Thinkers" of 2011. He co-writes a blog at www.MarginalRevolution.com, hosts a podcast Conversations with Tyler, and is co-founder of an online economics education project, MRU.org. He is also director of the philanthropic project Emergent Ventures.
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