Christopher Lasch and the Possibilities of Chastened Liberalism

The political theory of Christopher Lasch-one of America's most prominent public intellectuals-is set within its own historical context and analyzed in this essay. It focuses on Lasch's relationship to American liberalism both in political and intellectual terms. Typically this relationship is understood as antagonistic, but here the relationship is seen as more sympathetic and nuanced. This essay examines the themes of class, social control, and democratic theory by exploring Lasch's biography and his use of history to inform political theory. It ends by suggesting a chastened form of liberal thought that can respond to the criticisms made of the tradition