Country of Lords

Is America a ‘Country of Lords’?

The Next Big Idea, 14 September 2026. The book comes up at 2 min 29 sec in.

Columbia historian Kim Phillips-Fine is interviewed about her book tracing what she calls a 'shadow tradition' in American thought—arguing inequality is natural and legitimate—from the founding era through social Darwinism, meritocracy debates, and modern Silicon Valley tech lords. She examines figures including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, William Graham Sumner, and Curtis Yarvin. Host Rufus Griscom says he 'devoured' the book, and both discuss its relevance at America's 250th anniversary.

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