Can liberals be pacifists?
The podcast discusses Benjamin Britten's War Requiem and its implications regarding pacifism and war. Rebecca Lowe and Tyler Cowen explore the complexities of Britten's work, particularly in relation to conscientious objection during wartime. They also touch on the influence of World War I and the Spanish Civil War on Britten's compositions.
- ▪The podcast features discussions about Benjamin Britten's War Requiem.
- ▪Rebecca Lowe highlights the tensions surrounding conscientious objectors during wartime.
- ▪Britten described his work as a reparation to the dead soldiers.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Can liberals be pacifists? by Tyler Cowen May 27, 2026 at 12:11 am in History Music Philosophy This is mostly a podcast about Benjamin Britten, and in particular his War Requiem, with Rebecca Lowe (former singer and conductor, in addition to philosopher and also her current role at Mercatus). Here is the YouTube, here is the transcript and further listening links. Excerpt: LOWE: Yeah, so we should think about what it means for a conscientious objector to have written this work, which is supposed, in some sense, to maybe pay tribute to the soldiers. Maybe, in some sense, it’s supposed to play some role in the British response to the war. At a time when, of course, conscientious objectors had been seen as maybe betraying the nation.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Marginal Revolution.
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