Anger, Fear, Domination
Dark Passions and the Power of Political Speech
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Yale University Press
Publishing:28th Oct '25
£25.00
This title is due to be published on 28th October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
A renowned political theorist offers a road map to the dark forces that threaten democracy
Liberalism orients itself around the idea of self-interest tempered by reason, with the addition of civically useful emotions such as patriotism, self-sacrifice, and empathy. But the politics dominating much of the world shows that these ideals are not enough. William A. Galston argues that the defense of liberal democracy requires understanding the dark forces whose impact on political life liberal democratic institutions seek to mute: the emotions of fear, humiliation, anger, resentment, and hatred, and the drive to dominate. In hard or threatening times, it is these dark passions that most reliably persuade people and move them to action—whether voting or violence.
Throughout the democratic world, these institutional defenses are now being tested by a new generation of demagogues. With a keen awareness of the stakes, Galston explains why countering this dangerous development requires not only more responsive public policies but persuasive rhetoric and a realistic conception of political psychology—one that is free of the illusion that reason or affirmative sentiments such as empathy, solidarity, and love can reliably dominate public affairs.
“Anger, Fear, Domination is a brilliant work by one of America’s most distinguished public intellectuals. William A. Galston has written a book that’s eloquent, engaging, psychologically sophisticated, and politically fascinating. Dark passions have been unleashed in America; if you want to know why, and what to do to overcome them, this book is for you.”—Peter Wehner, author of The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump
“Of the many crisis books published over the last decade assessing the malignant political and moral climate degrading liberal democracy, there is nothing like this one. Galston has a rare, capacious mind. This book is a defense of liberal democracy written in a different voice that goes far in explaining us to ourselves.”—Nancy L. Rosenblum, Senator Joseph Clark Professor of Ethics in Government and Politics Emerita, Harvard University, and coauthor of Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos
“Our dark political times require us to understand what Galson calls ‘dark political passions’: anger, resentment, humiliation, fear, and the urge to dominate. Recalling the insights of classical political thought, this short but profound book explains how these passions can be exploited by demagogues or tamed by liberal statesmen.”—R. Shep Melnick, Tip O’Neill Professor of American Politics, Boston College
ISBN: 9780300282290
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
176 pages