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Patrick J. Deneen (born 1964) is an American
political theorist A political theorist is someone who engages in constructing or evaluating political theory, including political philosophy. Theorists may be academics or independent scholars. Ancient * Aristotle * Chanakya * Cicero * Confucius * Mencius * ...
and author, known for his critical examination of
liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...
and its effect on contemporary society. He is a professor of
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
at the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
, where his work emphasizes the interrelations of political philosophy, culture, and religion. Deneen's most notable book, '' Why Liberalism Failed,'' argues that the principles of liberalism have caused societal fragmentation and the erosion of communal bonds. His scholarship often explores the philosophical underpinnings of modern political thought and advocates for more traditional and localized forms of governance. His 2023 book, ''Regime Change: Towards a Postliberal Future,'' extends his critique of liberalism and develops a broader view of a postliberal politics.


Life and career

Patrick J. Deneen was born on July 21, 1964, the son of an insurance executive. He grew up in a Catholic household in
Windsor, Connecticut Windsor is a New England town, town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The town is part of ...
. Deneen is of Irish ancestry. Deneen was educated at
Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
, earning a BA in English literature in 1986. He began his doctoral work in political science at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
's Committee on Social Thought, studying there for one year before returning to Rutgers in 1995. His dissertation, "The Odyssey of Political Theory", was awarded the 1995 American Political Science Association Leo Strauss Award for Best Dissertation in Political Philosophy. From 1995 to 1997, Deneen was a speechwriter and special advisor to Joseph Duffey, the director of the
United States Information Agency The United States Information Agency (USIA) was a United States government agency devoted to propaganda which operated from 1953 to 1999. Previously existing United States Information Service (USIS) posts operating out of U.S. embassies wor ...
, appointed by President Clinton. He taught at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
from 1997 to 2005 as an assistant professor. Deneen joined the faculty at
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
in 2005 and was the Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis Associate Professor of Government until 2012. Deneen was founding director of the Tocqueville Forum on the Roots of American Democracy housed in the Government Department at
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
from 2006 to 2012. The Tocqueville Forum was founded in 2006 "to promote civic knowledge and promote inquiry". He joined the faculty at Notre Dame in 2012, and was promoted to full professor in 2018.


Written work and influence

Deneen is a scholar of democracy, liberalism, classical and modern political thought, and American political thought. He has been considered as being among prominent conservative intellectuals, particularly for his argument that liberalism—in both its modern and Enlightenment expressions—has failed America. He is the author of five monographs, co-editor of three volumes, and author of numerous academic articles. He has written for publications such as '' First Things'', '' The American Conservative'', '' The New Atlantis'', and '' Front Porch Republic''. Deneen's 2018 book '' Why Liberalism Failed'' was recommended by former President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
as part of his summer reading list. Obama wrote that "I found '' hy Liberalism Failed' thought-provoking. I don’t agree with most of the author’s conclusions, but the book offers cogent insights into the loss of meaning and community that many in the West feel, issues that liberal democracies ignore at their own peril." Deneen's 2023 book ''Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future'', discusses how liberalism can be replaced with a form of post-liberal conservatism that strives for the "common good". Deneen was a founding editor of the internet magazine ''Front Porch Republic'', for which he continues to serve as a contributing editor. The journal drew inspiration from the writings of Wendell Berry, represented by its motto: "Place. Limits. Liberty." Deneen wrote first posting of the website, published March 2, 2009, entitled "A Republic of Front Porches", which was later re-published in revised form in the 2018 book ''Localism in the Mass Age: A Front Porch Republic Manifesto''. David Brooks in 2012 classified ''Front Porch Republic'' as a "paleoconservative" publication influencing the future of conservatism. He described its authors as "suspicious of bigness: big corporations, big government, a big military, concentrated power and concentrated wealth. Writers at that Web site, and at the temperamentally aligned Front Porch Republic, treasure tight communities and local bonds. They're alert to the ways capitalism can erode community. Dispositionally, they are more Walker Percy than Pat Robertson." Deneen has cited a number of influences for his form of Catholic communitarianism, including his doctoral advisor Wilson Carey McWilliams, Wendell Berry,
Christopher Lasch Robert Christopher Lasch (June 1, 1932 – February 14, 1994) was an American historian and social critic who was a history professor at the University of Rochester. He sought to use history to demonstrate what he saw as the pervasiveness with ...
, and
Alexis de Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (29 July 180516 April 1859), was a French Aristocracy (class), aristocrat, diplomat, political philosopher, and historian. He is best known for his works ''Democracy in America'' (appearing in t ...
.


Political engagements

Deneen was a featured speaker at the 2019 National Conservatism Conference in Washington, DC. In his address, he was in part critical of
national conservatism National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist conservatism and social conserv ...
, arguing that American nationalism had been a major objective and achievement of progressives such as
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
,
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
, and Herbert Croly. He endorsed a nation that promoted more local forms of association: "The nation should be above all devoted to efforts to sustain, foster and support the communities that comprise it, and to combat, where necessary and possible, the modern forces that have proven to be so destructive of those constitutive communities." In September 2019 Deneen lectured on "The Crisis of Democracy" in the Senate of the Czech Republic as part of an international conference arranged by the voting reform group Institute H21. In November 2019, Deneen met Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian lawyer and politician who has been the 56th prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has also led the Fidesz political party since 200 ...
as part of a visit to Budapest to discuss the Hungarian translation of ''Why Liberalism Failed'' in the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In June 2020, Deneen responded to charges by libertarians of lack of loyalty to American liberal founding principles. Accused of hostility to the individualism of American founding principles by George Will, he pointed to a non-liberal, more communitarian strand in the American tradition. In July 2020, Deneen engaged in two public debates with libertarian conservatives. At the website ''The American Compass'', Deneen debated with former
CKE Restaurants CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (an acronym for Carl Karcher Enterprises) is an American fast food corporation and is the parent organization for the Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito brands. CKE Restaurants is headquartered in ...
CEO Andrew Puzder on the social responsibilities of corporations, in which Deneen argued for greater civic, consumer, and environmental corporate responsibility. He also debated conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg on the consequences of liberalism, arguing that liberalism had increased social isolation, political fragmentation, and economic inequality. In November 2020 he joined the American Solidarity Party Board of Advisors.


Works

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References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Deneen, Patrick (author) 1964 births Academics from Connecticut American Christian democrats Catholic philosophers Catholics from Connecticut Georgetown University faculty Living people People from Hartford County, Connecticut Princeton University faculty Rutgers University alumni University of Notre Dame faculty