Summary of "Trump and the Return of Pre-Modern Incivility"

Trump's Impact on Civil Religion and Civility

President Trump's controversial statements following the Charlottesville incident raised questions about his role as a leader of the American Civil Religion. Sociologists like Jonathan Haidt and John Murray Cuddihy analyzed how Trump's remarks affected perceptions of racism, intolerance, and civility. Cuddihy's insights shed light on the historical development of civility in Western society and its relationship to counter-culture movements like Freudian psychoanalysis and Marxism.

The Evolution of Civility and Counter-Culture

Cuddihy's examination of civility as a ritual exchange among strangers and its transformation over time highlights how counter-culture movements challenged traditional notions of civility. Figures like Freud and Marx played pivotal roles in critiquing bourgeois manners and advocating for a more open confrontation with societal realities. Their approaches diverged, with Freud focusing on psychological liberation and Marx on political and economic critique.

Trump's Incivility and Political Incorrectness

Trump's incivility and politically incorrect rhetoric have sparked debates about the boundaries of acceptable behavior in public discourse. Various commentators have drawn parallels between Trump's behavior and Freud's concept of the Id, highlighting how his actions reveal underlying societal tensions and anxieties. The clash between Trump's style and traditional norms of civility has implications for political correctness and cultural values in contemporary society.

Trump and the Return of Pre-Modern Incivility - Flipbook by Fleepit