The Risks of Moral Absolutism in Democratic Politics

Why history warns that demonization is not argument—and how reckless analogies can accelerate toward violence

Before beginning: Through the end of this month, I will be in Phoenix recording three new courses (eight hours each) for the Peterson Academy. At a later Ask Me Anything, I’ll walk subscribers through the behind-the-scenes process of building those courses. Because of this schedule, it is unlikely I will publish another Substack post until the first week of February. In the meantime, I wanted to send out this brief, non-partisan reflection on rhetoric, history, and the risks of political escalation.