“Common Sense” Is Destroying Democracy (w/ Sophia Rosenfeld)
🦩 This episode originally aired on April 4, 2025. Get new episodes early at patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Sophia Rosenfeld is a distinguished historian and the author of Common Sense: A Political History. She joins Nathan to discuss how the idea of “common sense” has been used as a political weapon—from Thomas Paine to Donald Trump. Rosenfeld explains how appeals to common sense can both empower ordinary people and shut down dissent, why the term has become central to right-wing populism, and how it helps mask deeply ideological claims as obvious truths. She also reflects on her new book, The…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.