I think in narratives. I often ponder the current macro-narrative of the world and make personal predictions and observations about the possible paths down which this macro-narrative could continue and, though many possibilities exist, I cannot help but feel that the future, whatever it brings, will be neither secular nor liberal in nature, at least not to the extent to which most have become acclimated over the past few centuries.
The hubris of the West knows no bounds. Having successfully trounced the traditional framework that had served as the very foundation of Western civilization, progressives and liberals (and I would confidently lump nearly all self-proclaimed conservatives in with this group) seem smugly assured that their secular/liberal matrix is not only superior to any previous societal matrix, but wholeheartedly believe that all people in the world, regardless of their culture or history, are anxiously clambering to become a part of this idealized utopian vision that could very use John Lennon's song Imagine as its national anthem.
This is why European progressives and liberals not only do not see, but are simply incapable of acknowledging the deeper historical and cultural ramifications of current world events. If they do see and do acknowledge the deeper historical and cultural ramifications they seem extremely assured that the paradigm they espouse will crush and convert all others it comes into contact with. I respect their nonchalance to a certain degree. After all, liberals and progressives have been extremely successful in their ambitions thus far in the West. To think otherwise would be dishonest. Nevertheless, I do not believe liberalism and progressivism will have much success in the near future - at least not in Europe.
Firstly, I don't feel liberalism and progressivism can conquer Islam in any meaningful way. If it had the ability to do so, it would have been far more successful in its campaign than it has been thus far, both in Europe and in Islamic countries. Its tolerant approach is backfiring horribly and no matter how hard liberals try, they fail to infect Islam with their ideology the same way they successfully infected Christianity. This does not imply that Islam is a better or stronger religion than Christianity. Quite the opposite. The reason liberalism has managed to Christianity in a more meaningful way than it has conquered Islam is, in my opinion this: Islam's strength is worldly whereas Christianity's true power resides in the other-worldly. Liberalism has not succeeded in conquering Islam, but Islam may succeed in conquering liberalism. Liberalism has gone out of its way to defend Islam as a religion of peace and lashes out consistently at anyone or anything that dares criticize the religion by affixing them with the usual liberal labels of bigotry, racism, intolerance, xenophobia and, the very specific term, Islamophobia. For its part, Islam has not returned the favor. No Imam that I know of has waded into realm of enlightenment by preaching for the acceptance of equal rights for women or tolerance of gays and lesbians. Thus if Islam continues to strengthen, and this is particularly true for Western nations that are home to sizable Muslim populations, it is entirely conceivable that liberal values such as those mentioned above might be threatened if not abolished altogether if Muslims begin to lay claim to any political power within those countries. This will also present a challenge for democracy, that cornerstone of liberalism.
Secondly, I don't consider liberalism a constructive ideology. Liberal principles are much better at tearing down then they are at building up. Its successful conquest of God left a massive metaphysical void that liberalism could easily be filled by hedonism and the cult of the individual, but no amount of "I gotta be me" philosophy and vulgar pleasure has been successful at truly meeting the metaphysical needs the perceived "death of God" has left behind. Stripped of everything that once defined humans as humans, liberalism has effectively created a barren landscape of barren, atomized individuals who believe in nothing and stagger through each day hoping their new granite kitchen counter tops or sex-tourism trip to Thailand will somehow fill the devastating wasteland where their souls once resided. Liberalism essentially gives no one anything more to live for than themselves and their selfish pleasures. It is an empty, suicidal ideology fill with good intentions that lead to only one place, both for the individual and for society as a whole. Left to its own devices, liberalism will simply collapse upon itself given enough time. Having said this, I very much doubt it will be given the time to do so.
Thirdly, it seems to me that liberals themselves are slowly becoming aware of the futility and emptiness of their ideology and what it truly stands for at its core, which is essentially nothing. Humans can survive many things, but wholehearted belief in meaninglessness does not seem to be one of them. I get the sense that people want to believe in something again - something real. For some it might be traditional notions of family or community. For others it might be nationhood or a return to religion. It could very well be a combination of all of the above. All of those things were the very cornerstones of European civilization; the very things liberalism has laid waste to for centuries. It would not be too outrageous to believe that perhaps these traditional values become the foundation of society once again, and if they were too, on a mass-scale, they would push back against both secularism and liberalism and either reduce its influence significantly or obliterate it altogether. The nature of most reactionary movement could be organic and relatively peaceful or it could be violent and brutal, especially at the beginning.
Regardless of the possibilities, when I look at where the narrative stands now, I cannot help but think that the future will be neither secular nor liberal. Whether this happens because of the possible ascendency of Islam, or the exhausted decadence of liberalism collapsing on its own, or a restoration of true traditional Western values, or a combination of some or all of the abovementioned elements remains to be seen. Regardless, one theme in the macro-narrative seems clear at this point - our secular, liberal days seem to be numbered.
The hubris of the West knows no bounds. Having successfully trounced the traditional framework that had served as the very foundation of Western civilization, progressives and liberals (and I would confidently lump nearly all self-proclaimed conservatives in with this group) seem smugly assured that their secular/liberal matrix is not only superior to any previous societal matrix, but wholeheartedly believe that all people in the world, regardless of their culture or history, are anxiously clambering to become a part of this idealized utopian vision that could very use John Lennon's song Imagine as its national anthem.
This is why European progressives and liberals not only do not see, but are simply incapable of acknowledging the deeper historical and cultural ramifications of current world events. If they do see and do acknowledge the deeper historical and cultural ramifications they seem extremely assured that the paradigm they espouse will crush and convert all others it comes into contact with. I respect their nonchalance to a certain degree. After all, liberals and progressives have been extremely successful in their ambitions thus far in the West. To think otherwise would be dishonest. Nevertheless, I do not believe liberalism and progressivism will have much success in the near future - at least not in Europe.
Firstly, I don't feel liberalism and progressivism can conquer Islam in any meaningful way. If it had the ability to do so, it would have been far more successful in its campaign than it has been thus far, both in Europe and in Islamic countries. Its tolerant approach is backfiring horribly and no matter how hard liberals try, they fail to infect Islam with their ideology the same way they successfully infected Christianity. This does not imply that Islam is a better or stronger religion than Christianity. Quite the opposite. The reason liberalism has managed to Christianity in a more meaningful way than it has conquered Islam is, in my opinion this: Islam's strength is worldly whereas Christianity's true power resides in the other-worldly. Liberalism has not succeeded in conquering Islam, but Islam may succeed in conquering liberalism. Liberalism has gone out of its way to defend Islam as a religion of peace and lashes out consistently at anyone or anything that dares criticize the religion by affixing them with the usual liberal labels of bigotry, racism, intolerance, xenophobia and, the very specific term, Islamophobia. For its part, Islam has not returned the favor. No Imam that I know of has waded into realm of enlightenment by preaching for the acceptance of equal rights for women or tolerance of gays and lesbians. Thus if Islam continues to strengthen, and this is particularly true for Western nations that are home to sizable Muslim populations, it is entirely conceivable that liberal values such as those mentioned above might be threatened if not abolished altogether if Muslims begin to lay claim to any political power within those countries. This will also present a challenge for democracy, that cornerstone of liberalism.
Secondly, I don't consider liberalism a constructive ideology. Liberal principles are much better at tearing down then they are at building up. Its successful conquest of God left a massive metaphysical void that liberalism could easily be filled by hedonism and the cult of the individual, but no amount of "I gotta be me" philosophy and vulgar pleasure has been successful at truly meeting the metaphysical needs the perceived "death of God" has left behind. Stripped of everything that once defined humans as humans, liberalism has effectively created a barren landscape of barren, atomized individuals who believe in nothing and stagger through each day hoping their new granite kitchen counter tops or sex-tourism trip to Thailand will somehow fill the devastating wasteland where their souls once resided. Liberalism essentially gives no one anything more to live for than themselves and their selfish pleasures. It is an empty, suicidal ideology fill with good intentions that lead to only one place, both for the individual and for society as a whole. Left to its own devices, liberalism will simply collapse upon itself given enough time. Having said this, I very much doubt it will be given the time to do so.
Thirdly, it seems to me that liberals themselves are slowly becoming aware of the futility and emptiness of their ideology and what it truly stands for at its core, which is essentially nothing. Humans can survive many things, but wholehearted belief in meaninglessness does not seem to be one of them. I get the sense that people want to believe in something again - something real. For some it might be traditional notions of family or community. For others it might be nationhood or a return to religion. It could very well be a combination of all of the above. All of those things were the very cornerstones of European civilization; the very things liberalism has laid waste to for centuries. It would not be too outrageous to believe that perhaps these traditional values become the foundation of society once again, and if they were too, on a mass-scale, they would push back against both secularism and liberalism and either reduce its influence significantly or obliterate it altogether. The nature of most reactionary movement could be organic and relatively peaceful or it could be violent and brutal, especially at the beginning.
Regardless of the possibilities, when I look at where the narrative stands now, I cannot help but think that the future will be neither secular nor liberal. Whether this happens because of the possible ascendency of Islam, or the exhausted decadence of liberalism collapsing on its own, or a restoration of true traditional Western values, or a combination of some or all of the abovementioned elements remains to be seen. Regardless, one theme in the macro-narrative seems clear at this point - our secular, liberal days seem to be numbered.
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