David Gornoski uses the term “sterile left” to critique a segment of modern political and cultural thought that, in his view, has lost its connection to authentic human experience. He describes this sterility not in a literal or biological sense, but as a metaphor for a deeper spiritual and cultural emptiness. The sterile left, according to Gornoski, champions broad, abstract causes — such as identity politics or collectivist ideals — while often suppressing personal identity, individuality, dissent, and organic human life. It replaces real human relationships and complexity with mechanical, ideological frameworks that demand conformity and moral signaling.
Under the guise of progress and justice, this worldview becomes polished and performative, but ultimately hollow. Gornoski sees it as a culture that prioritizes slogans and surface-level virtue over genuine compassion, creativity, or personhood. Rather than embracing the richness and messiness of human life, it flattens individuals into categories and narratives. In doing so, it removes the very elements that make us fully human — freedom, nuance, and spiritual depth. The result is a moral and cultural atmosphere that appears enlightened and virtuous but lacks vitality, innovation, and soul. It is, in Gornoski’s terms, sterile — clean, controlled, and lifeless.