Why Western Intellectuals Hate the West: The Enlightenment’s Gravediggers by Maarten Boudry

Why do so many Western intellectuals seem to despise their own civilisation? In this essay, philosopher Maarten Boudry explores the strange phenomenon of Western self-loathing—tracing it from Rousseau’s radical critique of modernity to the postmodern rejection of science, capitalism, and Enlightenment values. From Slavoj Žižek to Michel Foucault, from critical theorists to anti-Western student protestors, many enjoy freedoms they simultaneously decry—biting the hand that feeds them precisely because they know it won’t strike back. Boudry argues that this relentless self-critique has become an intellectual auto-immune disorder—one that tyrants like Putin, Xi, and Khamenei exploit as the West loses confidence in its own founding ideals. Read more: https://quillette.com/2025/06/19/the-... [00:00] Introduction with a quote from Lucretius and Monty Python [00:15] Rousseau's transformative experience with the literary magazine [00:42] Question posed by Académie des sciences and the impact on morals [01:23] Debate favoring the moderns due to scientific advances [02:31] Rousseau's view on the decay of civilization and virtue [05:29] Enlightenment thinkers creating a sanctuary of free thought [06:56] Critique of Western civilization and modernity [08:03] Example of Western heroes being criticized and decolonization efforts [11:41] Possible roots of Western self-abasement in Christian doctrine [13:19] Paradox of freedom in Western democratic societies [16:32] Criticism of free societies providing platforms for enemies [21:51] Historical context of Western and Communist societies [22:32] Examples of intellectuals criticizing Western civilization [27:52] Conclusion on tolerance of self-criticism being essential to the Enlightenment ----- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91