ThoughtGallery.org > Liberalism at Large: Alexander Zevin with Astra Taylor

Liberalism at Large: Alexander Zevin with Astra Taylor

Liberalism at Large: The World According to the Economist by Alexander Zevin

A pathbreaking history of modern liberalism told through the pages of one of its most zealous supporters.

Since 1843, the Economist has been the single most devoted and  influential champion of liberalism anywhere in the world. But what  exactly is liberalism, and how has the liberal message evolved? Liberalism at Large  presents a history of liberalism on the move, confronting the  challenges that classical doctrine left unresolved: the rise of  democracy, the expansion of empire, the ascendancy of finance. Today, neither economic crisis at home, nor permanent warfare abroad, has  dimmed the Economist’s belief in unfettered markets, limited  government and a free hand for the West. Confidante to the powerful, emissary for the financial sector, portal onto international affairs, the bestselling news weekly shapes the world its readers—and the rest of  us—inhabit. This is the first critical biography of one of the  architects of a liberal world order now under increasing strain.

“The Economist has vigorously claimed to be advancing the liberal cause since its founding. Zevin takes it at its word, telling the story not only of the magazine itself but also of its impact on world affairs. Having evidently mastered the magazine’s archives, he commands a deep knowledge of its inner workings. The Economist emerges as a force that—thanks to the military, cultural and economic power of Britain and, later, America—can truly be said to have made the modern world, if not in the way that many liberals would suppose.” – Pankaj Mishra, New Yorker

Alexander Zevin is an Assistant Professor of History at City University of New York and an Editor at New Left Review.

Astra Taylor is the author of The People’s Platform (winner of the American Book Award) and made two documentary films, Zizek! and Examined Life. Taylor’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, n+1, and The Baffler, where she is a contributing editor. She lives in New York City.











When: Mon., Jan. 27, 2020 at 7:00 pm
Where: McNally Jackson Williamsburg
76 N. 4th St.
718-387-0115
Price: Free
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Liberalism at Large: The World According to the Economist by Alexander Zevin

A pathbreaking history of modern liberalism told through the pages of one of its most zealous supporters.

Since 1843, the Economist has been the single most devoted and  influential champion of liberalism anywhere in the world. But what  exactly is liberalism, and how has the liberal message evolved? Liberalism at Large  presents a history of liberalism on the move, confronting the  challenges that classical doctrine left unresolved: the rise of  democracy, the expansion of empire, the ascendancy of finance. Today, neither economic crisis at home, nor permanent warfare abroad, has  dimmed the Economist’s belief in unfettered markets, limited  government and a free hand for the West. Confidante to the powerful, emissary for the financial sector, portal onto international affairs, the bestselling news weekly shapes the world its readers—and the rest of  us—inhabit. This is the first critical biography of one of the  architects of a liberal world order now under increasing strain.

“The Economist has vigorously claimed to be advancing the liberal cause since its founding. Zevin takes it at its word, telling the story not only of the magazine itself but also of its impact on world affairs. Having evidently mastered the magazine’s archives, he commands a deep knowledge of its inner workings. The Economist emerges as a force that—thanks to the military, cultural and economic power of Britain and, later, America—can truly be said to have made the modern world, if not in the way that many liberals would suppose.” – Pankaj Mishra, New Yorker

Alexander Zevin is an Assistant Professor of History at City University of New York and an Editor at New Left Review.

Astra Taylor is the author of The People’s Platform (winner of the American Book Award) and made two documentary films, Zizek! and Examined Life. Taylor’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, n+1, and The Baffler, where she is a contributing editor. She lives in New York City.

Buy tickets/get more info now