Political and Cultural Conflict Today

Political and Cultural Conflict Today addresses the fierce animosity splitting factions in Western democracies, with a primary focus on the USA. The author demonstrates that today’s societal divisions stem from a collision between the two divergent forms of Modernity that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries—here called Modernity 1 and Modernity 2.

Modernity shattered the God- (or gods-)infused hierarchies that once ordered society, liberating individuals to become responsible for themselves. Modernity 1 expresses this liberation through freedom and individual rights grounded in reason and evidence, mandating collaboration in a world requiring empirical justification. This gave rise to the common structures of democracy and science. However, the very freedom gained through Modernity's destruction of traditional hierarchies also enabled beliefs untethered from objective reality, thus Modernity 2 was born. The author argues that the clash between these streams manifests today in the rejection of scientific authority, the resurgence of populist movements, and the deepening cultural divide between elites and populists.

Fleming's clearly-written, cross-disciplinary analysis aims at defusing the conflict by demonstrating that both sides are parts of Modernity, shaped by the same historical circumstances. As such, it represents a major contribution to sociology, social theory, political science, philosophy, cultural studies, and history, whilst also resonating with general readers seeking to understand contemporary polarization and the tensions intrinsic to modern life.