Ross Douthat's book of 2021, The Decadent Society: America Before and After the Pandemic, is a powerful portrait of how America’s wealthy, successful society has passed into an age of gridlock, stalemate, public failure and private despair. Douthat seeks to explain what happens when a powerful society ceases advancing, and he argues that our age is defined by disappointment – by the feeling that all the frontiers are closed, that the paths forward lead only to the grave. He provides an insightful explanation of how we got here, how long our frustrations might last, and how our decadence might ultimately end.

DELIVERY MODE

• Online
  
  

SUGGESTED READING

• Sixsmith, S. (2020). The Decadent Society - A Review. https://quillette.com/2020/02/17/the-decadent-society-a-review/
  
  

COURSE OUTLINE

• The author and his work: Ross Douthat – political analyst, writer, columnist.
• The purpose and structure of: The Decadent Society.
• The key arguments of: The Decadent Society.