Skip to content

Is Radicalism the Answer?

November 1, 2026 · 1 h 8 min

Show notes

As we enter the midterm elections, Americans seem increasingly ready to move on from the Trump era, but there remains great disagreement about what should come next and how we might achieve it. Intellectual historian and law professor Samuel Moyn is among those who believe that liberals have become too timid about driving social, political, and economic change. If the Trump era was in part a response to the failures of centrist moderation, as Moyn suggests, then we may need something more radical to get us out of it. David Brooks is one of those centrist moderates, chastened by the many examples when radical change has led to tragic outcomes—including the example of Trump himself. In this week’s episode, David and Moyn discuss emancipation, fallibility, and the disagreement beneath the disagreement.

- - -

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener.

“The Permanent Questions” is produced and edited by The Atlantic in partnership with Yale University.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All episodes of The Permanent Questions With David Brooks

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.