Adrian Wooldridge On Liberalism's Genius
From The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan by Andrew Sullivan
May 8, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
Adrian Wooldridge discusses the evolution and challenges of liberalism with Andrew Sullivan.
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.com Adrian is a journalist and an old friend. We arrived in America on the same plane in 1984 and spent the first few days together in the same hotel room. After more than 20 years writing for The Economist, he became the global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He’s the author of several books, including The Aristocracy of Talent, and the co-author of many more with John Micklethwait, including The Right Nation . Adrian’s new book is The Revolutionary Center : The Lost Genius of Liberalism . It’s a terrific tonic for a philosophy as vital as it is in eclipse. For two clips of the episode — on how Enlightenment ideas got corrupted, and Big Tech’s threat to liberalism — head to our YouTube page . Other topics: raised in rural Shropshire; his parents both teachers; his dissertation on the 11-plus (an exam that changed my life); when IQ tests were a liberal cause; Luther and the Reformation; the religious civil wars leading to the Enlightenment; Hobbes as a proto-liberal; the humanism of Erasmus; Montesquieu and the spirit of liberalism; John Stuart Mill and utilitarianism; Isaiah Berlin…
People in this episode
Host: Andrew Sullivan
Guest: Adrian Wooldridge
Topics covered
- liberalism
- Enlightenment ideas
- Big Tech
- meritocracy
- consumerism
- political philosophy
Keywords
- liberalism
- Enlightenment
- Big Tech
- meritocracy
- political philosophy
- Thatcherism
- consumerism
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Economist, Bloomberg Opinion, EU
Books & works: The Aristocracy of Talent, The Right Nation, The Revolutionary Center: The Lost Genius of Liberalism
More episodes of The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan
- Daniel McCarthy On Trump And Conservatism · June 12, 2026 · 53 min
- Ben Rhodes On Iran, Israel, And America · June 5, 2026 · 56 min
- HW Brands On George Washington And Power · May 29, 2026 · 51 min
- Harvey Mansfield On Machiavelli And Modernity · May 22, 2026 · 52 min
- Jerusalem Demsas On Liberalism And The Dems · May 15, 2026 · 44 min
- Tom Junod On Masculinity And His Dad · May 1, 2026 · 59 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan podcast page.