Political philosopher Daniel J. Mahoney, professor of politics at Assumption College, joined Chicago’s Morning Answer this week to discuss his new book, The Persistence of the Ideological Lie: The Totalitarian Impulse Then and Now. The wide-ranging conversation with hosts Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson offered a sobering analysis of modern ideological movements and their corrosive impact on Western democracies.
Mahoney argues that the so-called “ideological lie” is not a relic of the 20th century but a persistent and evolving threat. The lie, he explains, is rooted in the belief that human nature can be radically transformed and that moral distinctions such as good and evil can be replaced by simplistic binaries like progress versus reaction. It’s the same impulse that justified the political purges of communism, he says, and it is alive today in modern forms such as radical identitarianism and cancel culture.
“The ideological lie,” Mahoney warned, “rests on the idea that a small, enlightened group knows who the villains are and is justified in using coercion to erase resistance.”
Far from being dismantled by the collapse of Soviet communism, Mahoney contends that this totalitarian mindset has only adapted. Rather than emanating solely from government power, it now seeps into society through civil institutions—schools, universities, media, and corporations—which he calls a “new model of totalitarianism emanating from civil society.”
This trend, Mahoney says, is particularly dangerous because it disguises coercion as consensus and ideological orthodoxy as moral progress. He noted the growing influence of what he calls “the new racialism,” which he argues denies the moral agency of individuals and treats entire groups as permanent victims. This, he said, creates conditions ripe for a new despotism cloaked in therapeutic language.
Proft and Mahoney discussed how these ideologies have become entrenched in Western societies, citing examples from both the U.S. and the U.K. In one disturbing case, Mahoney pointed to a viral incident in Britain where police questioned an elderly man over allegedly telling someone to “speak English,” a comment that authorities said could be perceived as a hate crime. “This is East German stuff,” Proft remarked, drawing parallels to speech policing and thought control.
Mahoney agreed, highlighting that even in nations with strong traditions of free expression, such as the United States, ideological conformity is increasingly enforced through intimidation rather than law. “You don’t need to outlaw dissent,” he said, “if you can make dissenters unemployable or socially radioactive.”
He also issued a warning against complacency. While recent executive orders and national-level political shifts may be encouraging to conservatives, Mahoney cautioned that these are insufficient to turn back the cultural tide. “Winning a national election is a step forward,” he said, “but it’s not the cure. The real battle is for civil society.”
Throughout the conversation, Mahoney emphasized the importance of understanding the intellectual and philosophical underpinnings of modern ideological movements. Without that understanding, he said, citizens remain vulnerable to what he describes as “the fanaticism of the center”—mainstream political coalitions that mask authoritarian instincts beneath centrist branding.
The persistence of these ideas, Mahoney concluded, means that Western democracies must remain vigilant. “We don’t live in a totalitarian country,” he acknowledged, “but the totalitarian impulse is deeply ingrained.”
The Persistence of the Ideological Lie will be released April 15. It explores the philosophical roots of modern ideological extremism and offers a roadmap for defending liberty and human dignity in the face of growing cultural conformity.
For those concerned about the direction of Western civilization, Mahoney’s latest work arrives as both a diagnosis and a call to action.