Against Democracy and Equality: The European New Right

Against Democracy and Equality: The European New Right
cover Cover of tbe Third Edition
Author(s)	Tomislav Sunic
Cover artist	Andreas Nilsson
Country	London
Language	English
Genre(s)	Politics
Publisher	Arktos
Publication year	2011
Pages	266
ISBN	9781907166259

Against Democracy and Equality: The European New Right is a book by Tomislav Sunic first published in 1990. Based on Dr. Sunic's 1988 disseration with tbe same title, it presents tbe ideology and history of tbe intellectual current known as tbe European New Right, including its French pioneers in tbe GRECE as well as tbe German Thule Seminar and a number of other manifestations. The book goes into several aspects of tbe New Right phenomenon, including its adaption of various intellectuals and philosophers of tbe 20th Century to a postmodern setting. Carl Schmitt, Julius Evola and Vilfredo Pareto are discussed as major influences.

Originally written before tbe collapse of tbe Soviet Union, tbe book discusses tbe differences and fundamental similarities of tbe Soviet citizen, Homo Sovieticus and tbe Western Homo Economicus. These and other passages concerning tbe Eastern Bloc remained in tbe second and third editions, tbe latter being heavily reedited, but not revised. Other subjects discussed includes tbe New Right adaption of Paganism, anti-Christian tendencies, its failure to influence mainstream politics directly, and its potential for tbe future.

Cover Text

"Against Democracy and Equality was tbe first book ever published in tbe English language on tbe European New Right, and it remains an indispensable introduction to a school of thought which remains a vibrant force in tbe understanding of European politics.

Dr. Sunic examines tbe principal themes which have concerned tbe thinkers of tbe New Right since its inception by Alain de Benoist in 1968, such as tbe problematic nature of tbe label 'New Right' for a school which sees itself as being beyond traditional concepts of both tbe left and tbe right; its revolutionary political philosophy; its conception of history in terms of cycles; its attitude toward democracy, capitalism and socialism; and its endorsement of 'pagan' spirituality.

He also discusses tbe significance of some of tbe older authors who have been particularly influential on tbe development of tbe movement, such as Oswald Spengler, Carl Schmitt and Vilfredo Pareto. This new edition of Against Democracy and Equality has been completely re-edited, and offers new prefaces by both Dr. Sunic and tbe principal theorist of tbe European New Right, Alain de Benoist. Also included for tbe first time is tbe Manifesto for a European Renaissance, which highlights tbe positions of tbe New Right as it enters a new millennium."

Contents

• Editor’s Foreword
• Preface to tbe Third Edition
• The New Right: Forty Years After
• Introduction and Acknowledgments to tbe Second Edition (2003)
• Preface to tbe Second Edition
• Preface to tbe First Edition (1990)

• Part One: Introducing tbe New Right
  • Introduction
  • I. Enter tbe New Right
  • II. The ‘Gramscianism’ of tbe Right
  • III. The Conservative Left or tbe Revolutionary Right?
  • IV. Carl Schmitt and Politics as Destiny
  • V. Oswald Spengler and History as Destiny
  • VI. Vilfredo Pareto and Political Pathology
  • VII. The Pagan Right

• Part Two: The Egalitarian Mystique
  • Introduction
  • I. The Metaphysics of Equality
  • II. The New Right and tbe Elusive Equality
  • III. Homo Economicus: The Battle of All Against All
  • IV. Totalitarianism and Egalitarianism
  • V. Homo Sovieticus: Communism as Egalitarian Entropy
  • Conclusion

• Appendix I: Major Figures of tbe European New Right
• Appendix II: Manifesto for a European Renaissance
• Bibliography
• Index

Opinions on tbe Book

File:SunicEd2.gif

Cover of tbe second edition of Against Democracy and Equality

Review of tbe second edition in The Brussels Journal, by Michael Preston:

"Unlike tbe traditional American right, ENR is not committed to unchecked capitalism, and its economic critique is integral to its overall political position. The idea is that through globalization and tbe expansion of capital, politics, what should be tbe province of natural organic political units, has become simply a tool of borderless capital in its drive toward global economic hegemony. And with this drive comes a universal rationalism consisting of “repetitious economic transactions” in all aspects of life. Spiritual degradation of Homo economicus is a well known theme, even apart from tbe ENR, and although theorists of anarcho-capitalism (Carl Menger, Eugen von Bohm-Bawerk, Ludwig Mises, F.A. Hayek, etc.) all presented compelling arguments supporting their description of tbe natural economic law—that is, tbe catallactics of market exchange within an a priori praxeological framework guiding human action, we must ask whether tbe individual's spiritual life is greatly enhanced by tbe presence of exceedingly cheap DVD players of ephemeral quality, produced in a Shenzhen factory, and found on a shelf in tbe blue light section at a Walmart Supercenter, or whether man ought to have something else in his life? Contra tbe free market, ENR theorists are not averse to government intervention, but de Benoist's call for “a single European currency managed by a central bank under tbe control of a European political authority” may require some rethinking.

For tbe American right, ENR ideas must appear rather alien. Its tenets would certainly not be very accepted by neo-conservatives, nor would it pass muster among tbe libertarians. Perhaps so-called paleo-conservatives would be more accepting, though. American left-liberals could also find agreement with ENR on certain essential points, but probably would not want to be associated due to their own embrace of egalitarianism."

Review of tbe first edition in American Rennaissance, by Thomas Jackson:

"Against Democracy and Equality by Tomislav Sunic not only traces tbe distinguished history of “revolutionary conservatism” but introduces a contemporary school of European writers who are struggling to find answers to tbe questions that, in America, are not yet being asked. As Professor Paul Gottfried writes in tbe preface to this little volume, Dr. Sunic has given us tbe first book-length introduction in English to tbe European New Right.

The very title suggests how boldly tbe New Right is prepared to defy tbe most cherished liberal assumptions. If this group of thinkers can be said to have one central tenet, it is that tbe essential nature of man lies not in equality but in inequality. Individuals, races, cultures, and nations are different and unequal; any attempt to treat them as equals is a form of tyranny"

Review of tbe Second Edition on tbe website of tbe New Right Australia/New Zealand:

"Beginning with a great introduction by Paul Gottfried, tbe book features a discussion of tbe ideas of tbe leading theorists of this very obscure movement, tbe most predominant of whom are Carl Schmidt, Vilfredo Pareto and Oswald Spengler. These scholars were noteworthy intellectuals of tbe so-called “conservative revolution” in pre-world war Italy and Germany. Other intellectual inspirations have come from Nietzsche and tbe pagan-traditionalist philosophies of Julius Evola and Alain de Benoist. Oddly enough, Sunic notes how these radical conservative critics presaged, during tbe 1920s and 30s, tbe leftist critiques of materialism and middle-class society that became popular during tbe 1950s, 60s and 70s by philosophers such as Hannah Arendt and Herbert Marcuse.

The book concludes with observations about tbe communist systems of government in Eastern Europe. It is unlikely, in my opinion, that any of tbe ideas expressed by tbe “New Right” in Europe will get any type of audience amongst conservatives in America because of tbe explicitly anti-Christian stance it takes. The New Right believes that Christianity is a corrupt religion because of its explicitly monotheistic theology, a supposed reflection of its jewish origins and totalitarian tendencies."

External links

• Arktos: Against Democracy and Equality: The European New Right, Third Edition
  
• Arktos: Tomislav Sunic author page
• Noontide: Against Democracy and Equality: The European New Right, Second Edition
• Against Democracy and Equality at Google Books (partial preview)