Suicide of the West

An Essay on the Meaning and Destiny of Liberalism

By: James Burnham

Narrated by: Phillip J. Sawtelle

William F. Buckley, Jr., perhaps best described the importance of this seminal work when he said, "James Burnham has written a book about Liberalism for which the world has been aching. It is worth more to the West than the year’s gross national product, more than all the planes and bombs…."

Through studious research into past civilizations, Burnham diagnoses the 20th century and finds it afflicted with destructive, even "suicidal" tendencies - all of which arise from the “Liberal syndrome” and its inherent applications.

The book explores several important questions, including why Liberalism clashes with Christianity and how Liberalism is a root cause of race riots and the rapid growth in crime. For James Burnham, who died in 1986, this book is certainly one of his greatest legacies.

©1985 1986 by James Burnham (P)1988 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This somber, brilliantly written book attempts to fix the blame for the suicidal ‘contraction of the West’ over the last fifty years upon Liberalism, chiefly in the United States…It is at the same time a venture into the philosophy of history and an indictment of those responsible for the present disastrous plight of once triumphant Western civilization." ( National Review)

Phenomenal

The author describes the leftist/ liberal ideology in a tangible manner, which bestows upon the reader a clear lens to view contemporary phenomena.

Very interesting, but also a bit out of date

I read this after listening to Burnham's fascinating book 'The Machiavellians', from which I barely got the sense that he is conservative (perhaps a classical liberal). I did not expect a polemic against (modern) liberalism based on the title.

There are some very interesting and original ideas in the book. The book was written in 1964, but the author remarked on the sense of guilt that liberals have. We now see this in new forms, but originally it was based on class and in attitudes towards the Third World. A lot of things that people think are new, are not really new, but have just really spread, while manifesting itself in new ways.

Another very interesting idea is that liberalism is an ideology that reconciles people to the decline of their civilization, by reframing it in a way that can be seen as positive.

Now, some notable issues on which it may be out of date. Some people view this work as racism. But that is being blinded by presentism. Burnham did not say that no change was necessary on racial issues, only that this change should not be sudden and revolutionary, but steady and in a way that allows people to adjust. That was a perfectly legitimate point of view, in fact, the conservative point of view in 1964. In fact, he takes a very empirical stance on racial issues, and attacks both people who exclusively attribute racial differences to one race being worse, as well as people who exclusively attribute them to victimization.

What has aged most poorly is the attitude towards the Cold War. The Kennedy administration is criticized in the book for having been soft on communism. In retrospect, we knew how close we came to a nuclear war over the Cuban Missile Crisis, so I would say it was just soft enough. All the more reason for historians to stick to history, instead of trying to comment on current events.

All in all, an interesting listen, and not just for its historical value. But realize that it is a critique. It focuses almost exclusively on the negative. It does not even pretend to be even-handed, objective or to give liberalism credit for the good things that it has done.

So presciently accurate

Should be a mandatory read for the left and the right. The author is a genius!

The Truth is simple: isn't that a double lie?

If you are a stalwart communist or progressive, you very well may be off put by this author's anti-idealism.

Furthermore, his race and ethnic realism, though not explicitly racist, may be uncomfortable to some.

However, you cannot deny his lucidity and accuracy regarding what it means to be a liberal, and how such a belief affects the mind of one who believes in such ideals. He even chronicles the transition from classical liberalism to modern progressivism.

Overall, if you are a conservative, classical liberal who dislikes progressivism, or a culturally conservative realist libertarian, this is a must listen. And for those of you who are otherwise politically: it might be useful to listen to a critique of you viewpoints from the standpoint of an agnostic realist and former communist.

For those of you who are centrist or undecided politically, I'm sure there are a handful of better books, but this is a decent listen and definitely worth your time. You will appreciate the agnostic viewpoint and independent nature of his commentary -- especially near the beginning.

Feels like it could’ve beer written today.

Burnham uses a lot of historical examples that could be easily swapped for something from the last 5 years. Very good book, listen to it at 1.4x, little slow reading otherwise.

Very important

If you could only read one book this whole year, read this one. 1970’s and Burnham already sees that the train has jumped the shark.

amazing

the examples are dated but the themes are timeless
I enjoyed it greatly
I need 15 words

Burnham is an Oracle

Burnham gives a comprehensive answer to what so many conservatives already know in their hearts to be true. Liberalism is a disease of the West, and we approach its terminal phase. What Burnham observes as early as 1964, has taken mainstream conservatism up until 2022 to figure out, many of whom still haven’t, and I highly recommend this book to you if you fall into this camp. Even if you don’t, or you’re a devout liberal yourself, I think you will find Burnham gives a rational and compelling alternative perspective to contemporary liberalism. So much of modern discourse is tied into empty platitude, but every platitude has its origin, and I have yet to read anyone else who has been able to articulate the essence of traditional American conservatism so well. It’s as if he was granted a window into the future through his knowledge of the past — notably of the Enlightenment illusions — which is the critique that brought me here in the first place and is so rarely found today.

The Future is Now!

What made the experience of listening to Suicide of the West the most enjoyable?

Suicide of the west should be looked at by Western Free market Libertarians as Nostradamus's quatrains. Look at the world events we see now, the collapse of European parliamentary democracy’s crumble under the weight of debt created by the liberal policies of social idealism.

What did you like best about this story?

The book was written in 1964 a year before I was born and this great book has been out there all this time. I glad I found it and thanks to Audible for having it.

Cogent analysis of liberalism that remains relevant today.

Burnham’s Suicide of the West presents a cogent argument for liberalism as one of the expressions of the contraction (“suicide”) of the west. He presents his analysis of liberalism in its essential attitudes and beliefs from a variety of angles and with compelling prose.

While the book was written in 1964, it is still relevant in explaining the phenomenon of liberalism, what many would now call “leftist progressivism.” The present political situation in America is largely a result of the “liberal ideology” Burnham so expertly exposits in this book.