Polemics Paleoconservatism

1 polemics

1.1 kirkian legacy
1.2 precursors
1.3 southern tradition
1.4 fusionism

1.4.1 burnham revolution


1.5 international parallels
1.6 heredity , human nature

1.6.1 biology, genes , behavior

polemics

other contemporary luminaries include donald livingston, professor of philosophy @ emory , corresponding editor chronicles; paul craig roberts, attorney , former reagan administration treasury official; commentator joseph sobran (died 2010), columnist , contributing editor chronicles; novelist , essayist chilton williamson, senior editor books @ chronicles; classicist thomas fleming, editor of chronicles; , historian clyde n. wilson, long-time contributing editor chronicles. prominent paleoconservative, theodore pappas, current executive editor of encyclopædia britannica.

the movement combines disparate people , ideas might seem incompatible in context. such diversity of thought echoes paleo opposition ideology , political rationalism, reflecting influence of thinkers russell kirk , michael oakeshott.

pat buchanan argues politician must defend moral order rooted in old , new testament , natural law —and deepest problems in our society not economic or political, moral. on other hand, samuel francis complained religious right focuses on social issues , neglects other civilizational crises.

kirkian legacy

russell kirk (1914–94) key figure in paleoconservatism, in several of books present outline of pervasive anglo-american conservative tradition exists despite many other distinctions. own career stretched long enough him defend robert a. taft in 1950s, write national review during cold war, criticize neoconservatism in 1980s, , give speeches supporting buchanan in 1992. 1 neoconservative writer, dan himmelfarb, refers kirk s conservative mind seminal work of paleoconservatism , though first published in 1953.

kirk developed 6 canons of conservatism. gerald j. russello described them thus:

in addition, kirk said christianity , western civilization unimaginable apart 1 another. said culture arises out of religion. when religious faith decays, culture must decline, though seeming flourish space after religion has nourished has sunk disbelief.

kirk called libertarians chirping sectaries , quoting t. s. eliot, , said , conservatives have nothing in common. called movement ideological clique forever splitting sects still smaller , odder, conjugating. said line of division exists between believers in sort of transcendent moral order , utilitarians admitting no transcendent sanctions conduct. put libertarians in latter category.

kirk popularized anglo-irish statesman edmund burke prototypical conservative—and many paleocons consider him hallowed ancestor. them, represents vital link between american right , greater tradition of british customs , common law. such, ideas touchstone conservatism respects tradition, while rejecting authoritarianism.

precursors

in united states, southern agrarians, john t. flynn, albert jay nock, garet garrett, robert r. mccormick, felix morley, , richard m. weaver among others, articulated positions have proved influential among contemporary paleoconservatives. paleocons enthusiastically embrace decentralizing tenets of anti-federalists, such john dickinson , george mason. neoconservative critic david brooks lists william jennings bryan, t. s. eliot, allen tate, john crowe ransom, cleanth brooks, , walker percy major paleo influences. german-born , calvinist political philosopher johannes althusius , tract politica, core emphasis on principle of subsidiarity, has proven influential well.

paul gottfried once noted occasional paleo association over-the-top catholicism. in fact, counter-revolutionary (roman catholic) european precursors paleoconservatives include joseph de maistre, charles maurras, juan donoso cortés, klemens wenzel von metternich, , pope pius ix, though tend carry influence limited roman catholic traditionalist subset of paleoconservatism. g. k. chesterton , hilaire belloc popular catholic forebears of paleo thought. chesterton , belloc, joseph sobran explained relevance:

this new, paganized western society under comprehensive state have come less of surprise if we’d paid more attention 2 great english catholic writers of pre-bolshevik period... in 1912, belloc predicted rise of new form of tyranny, called servile state , neither capitalist nor socialist, in 1 part of population forced support other. not accurate in detail, right in principle. saw cellular structure of christian society under assault. chesterton agreed. both men resisted modernity in religion, morality, politics, economics, , art. celebrated middle ages, small private property, , above catholicism. in famous epigram, typically defiant in simplicity, belloc proclaimed: europe faith, , faith europe.

some non-catholic paleocons, such sam francis, complained tradition overrepresented among conservative intellectuals, putting movement out of step middle america. reluctantly acknowledged southern presbyterian influence upon own thinking. in addition, precursors of protestant paleoconservatism can seen in 19th century figures such robert lewis dabney, charles hodge, friedrich julius stahl, abraham kuyper , guillaume groen van prinsterer.

many paleocons more modernist or historicist sources, such machiavelli, hobbes , gramsci intellectual ammunition. contrarian leftists such eugene genovese, christopher lasch , paul piccone influenced movement. samuel francis explored nihilistic fiction of h. p. lovecraft. them, such thinkers explain modernity, power relationships, , show how managerial society subverted western traditions.

some modern european continental conservatives, such frenchmen jacques barzun, alain de benoist, , rené girard, have mode of thought , cultural criticism esteemed many paleoconservatives.

southern tradition

the southern conservative thread of paleoconservatism embodies statesmanship of nineteenth-century figures such john randolph of roanoke, john taylor of caroline , john c. calhoun. found modern expositors in richard m. weaver , mel bradford. historian paul v. murphy argues paleoconservatism rooted in group of intellectuals fascinated antebellum culture , southern agrarians, including thomas fleming, clyde wilson , bradford. in 1970s, fleming, wilson , samuel francis attended university of north carolina together, becoming novelist walker percy called chapel hill conspiracy.

murphy wrote developed particularistic politics of states rights , localism, combine cultural , social criticism defined christian , patriarchal organicism. says southern traditionalist worldview evolved appeared in chronicles mid-1980s onward, focus on national identity mixed regional particularity, plus skepticism of abstract theory , centralized power. said mainstream view of old south distorted. example, bradford said:

the way @ institution of slavery not backward 1991 forward hundred years before 1860. slavery rising , setting of sun, fixture of life. in pre-colonial times, racist, except few quakers. jefferson thought negroes not capable of taking care of themselves, somewhere between helpless children , orangutans.

in 1995 new dixie manifesto , fleming , michael hill argued southerners pelted ethnic slurs, denied self-government , stripped of symbols, including confederate flag. other people, have right history , cultural identity. after many decades of strife , wrote, black , white southerners of should left alone work out destinies, avoiding, before late, urban hell has been created lawyers, social engineers , imperial bureaucrats have grown rich on programs have done nothing themselves.

thomas dilorenzo revisited southern paleo critique of abraham lincoln in book, real lincoln. gives paleolibertarian twist, saying president followed mercantilism, protectionism , example of alexander hamilton. said civil war destroying right of secession, not freeing slaves. furthermore, claims praise lincoln commonly receives conservatives misguided:

the gettysburg address brilliant oratory, political subterfuge. h.l. mencken pointed out, southerners fighting consent of governed , lincoln s government opposed them. no longer consented being governed washington, d.c. lincoln s admonition government of people, people, people perish earth if right of secession sustained equally absurd. united states remained democracy, , confederate states of america have been democratic country well. lincoln s notion secession destroy government of united states bizarre in light of fact after secession took place government fielded largest , best-equipped army , navy in history of world point 4 long years.

as 1861–1865 conflict, clyde wilson suggest referred war preserve southern independence. fleming argues secession legal:

those hold opinion (false , easy refute) united states in 1860 amalgamated central state believe secession of south carolina , other southern states illegal, act of wickedness can explained desire of evil southerners defend slavery. thus, in upside-down , fact-free world of leftists harry jaffa, war civil war between citizens of same state or, better yet, rebellion. abolitionists did not believe this, because after war, insisted southern states had left union , needed reconstructed. knew basic principle of international law, going grotius @ least, in confederated state members have right leave.

francis, while endorsing authentic federalism, stopped short @ supporting contemporary return southern secessionism, saying impractical , main political line of division in united states not between regions of north , south (insofar such regions can still said exist) between elite , nonelite. said middle americans in both regions face same threats.

david brooks, neoconservative critic, says paleocons not dream of seeing slavery reborn. instead, concludes link rural communities transcendent order , ancient institutions:

they not shy away expressing true beliefs, , if supported slavery so. merely believe in social hierarchies. in southern communities, say, social roles crucial happiness , ordered sociability. aristotle recognized well-ordered society protected ascending order of through institutionalization of rank , fleming , co-author paul gottfried wrote in book conservative movement. talking social pecking order in old-time towns—the folks live on hill, merchants on main street, village idiot on green. on larger scale, paleocons contrast virtues of republic corruptions of empire. empire throws weight around in world; republic minds own business.

fusionism

william f. buckley, jr. unwitting influence on paleoconservatism. during cold war, national review magazine vowed stand athwart history, yelling stop. promoted both burke , kirk, along frank meyer s theory of fusionism; suggested conservatives , libertarians reduce arguments 1 , present united front against communism. many first-generation paleocons national review supporters, grew weary journal reflected more , more neoconservative influence, starting in 1970s. chronicles founder leopold tyrmand complained movement gave political solutions cultural problems.

open hostility broke out in mid-1980s , never resolved. paleocons argued fusionism failed , suggested new alliance on right stand outside neoconservative consensus. pat buchanan s statement old church , old right, anti-imperialist , anti-interventionist, disbelievers in pax americana reflects new coalition. william rusher, former publisher of buckley s magazine, claims paleocons not representative conservatives. break between national review , paleoconservatives no tempest in teapot , says. may determine direction of american foreign policy decades come.

one problem, according paul gottfried , samuel francis, archaic conservatism. means saw continuity between ancient traditions , contemporary west, in mortal combat communists , other enemies. gottfried says problem mindset, finds in russell kirk, missed u.s. on way becoming self-identified multicultural society overseen post-christian managerial elite. these conservatives became optimistic modern-day civic virtue. looking back, thomas fleming remarked that

in theory, cold warriors protecting people of britain, france, , united states against expansion of evil empire, nations can defended people believe in nationhood, anathema liberal assumptions foundation of western states.

one notable group, intercollegiate studies institute (isi), still follows old fusionism. showcases both neoconservative , old right ideas, such anti-interventionism, limited government , cultural regionalism, in publications , conferences. while favors free-market solutions tends recognize limitations of market, or economist wilhelm roepke says, market not everything. isi scholarship includes analysis of agrarian , distributist works, along idea of humane economy.

burnham revolution

one fusionist, james burnham, left important influence on paleocons, on samuel francis. paul gottfried said 2 men believed social forces create ideologies—and moral visions mere accompaniments of process classes make economically dominant , try control other groups. burnham wrote in 1967:

in real life, men joined on less universal scale variety of groupings—family, community, church, business, club, party, etc.—which on political scale reach maximum significant limit in nation. since there @ present time no humanity or mankind (socially , historically speaking), there cannot world government—though conceivably there world empire.

burnham presented theory of managerial bureaucracy, presenting class of elites gain power in government, business , media, based on technical skill. here s how francis, said theory inspired george orwell s 1984 , explained it:

those hold such skills able dominate state, economy, , culture because structures of these sectors of modern society require technical functions specially skilled personnel can provide. older elites lack skills , lose actual control on key institutions of modern mass society. new, managerial elites take over, society reconfigured reflect , support interests ruling class—interests radically different of older elites. generally, interests of new managerial elites consist in maintaining , extending institutions control , in ensuring needs , rewards of technical skills possess steadily increased, society become dependent on them , functions possible.

francis, unlike other paleocons, argued existence of managers alone harmless. rather, multiculturalist ideology adopted drives toward tyranny. said white, christian, male-oriented, bourgeois values , institutions principal restraints of managerial power, class seeks undermine. explained:

if somehow take out ideology, change minds of control state, , convert them paleo-conservatives, state apparatus neutral. animates drive toward totalitarian conquest , reconfiguration of society , human mind comes ideology masters of managerial state have adopted, force entirely extraneous , largely accidental structure exercise power.

francis said, however, ideology helps managerial elite increase grip on society:

it in long-term interest of overclass (not of else) managerialize society aspects of life organized, packaged, routinized , subjugated manipulation technical skill overclass possesses, , interest requires undermining of institutions , norms independent of, , impediments to, overclass control.

international parallels

as paleoconservatism germinated reaction neoconservatism, of development distinct political tendency under name has been in united states, although there parallels in traditional old right of other western nations. french conservatives such jean raspail, , british conservatives such enoch powell, peter hitchens, antony flew (whom rockford institute awarded ingersoll prize), john betjeman, , roger scruton scruton s salisbury review , derek turner s quarterly review, australia s sydney traditionalist forum emphasize skepticism, stability, , burkean inheritance, , may considered broadly sympathetic paleo values. example, hitchens wrote, in opposition iraq war,

there nothing conservative war. @ least last century war has been herald , handmaid of socialism , state control. excuse censorship, organized lying, regulation , taxation. paradise busybody , nark. damages family life , wounds church. is, in short, ally of summed ugly word ‘progress.’

note 1 nation movement in 1990s australia, germany s junge freiheit, , italy s lega nord. , compare russian dissidents andrei navrozov , aleksandr solzhenitsyn.

heredity , human nature
biology, genes , behavior

while in past, many paleocons have criticized darwinism, such theories become accepted in society, many paleoconservative intellectuals have become interested in findings of anthropology, genetics, , sociobiology insight human behavior. murphy says thomas fleming influenced works of writers e. e. evans-pritchard , edward o. wilson. while criticizing evolutionary biologists stephen jay gould see evidence traditional values in these fields. rockford institute awarded sociobiologist edward o. wilson 1989 ingersoll prize.

thomas fleming takes view of human nature mixes classical philosophy sociobiology. said, laws , decrees enacted human government mutable , tyrannical , yet laws of human nature, worked tight within spirals of genetic code, unchanging , just. critic tony glaister describes attitude thus:

for fleming, human nature rooted in biological family; consequently, extension of state power sees thoroughly deleterious. family adhesion glue of our biologically determined natural social environment. john locke , jean-jacques rousseau existentialism (and implication, nihilism) , social fragmentation, way shorter think. principle society consists of social bond created contractually between each member , every other, in accordance existentialist belief existence precedes essence. existentialist, man creates nature , history existing , actions constitute existence , not virtue of biological inheritance or unfolding of inherent human nature . if there no god precedes man, there no essence reactions refer. implies rejection of essential or immutable human nature.

in way, fleming sees both sexual revolution , abortion revolution against human nature , against basic elements of human society.

do not parallels in ancient greek bisexuality (a misinterpreted phenomenon) or roman decadence. ordinary people in ancient world lived ordinary people have lived, dividing time between worrying crops , chasing after children supposed tending livestock or working in fields. tiny elite classes might become decadent liked without influencing rest of lives shaped natural necessities. yes, in 18th century europe anti-ethic of irresponsible hedonism reached peak in figures voltaire , sade, sexual antics of palais royal not being imitated peasants in vendée. in 20th century have universalized rebellion against nature , god , communicated common man.

differing views exist on specific question of evolution vs. intelligent design. fleming says intelligent design boneheaded piece of pseudo-science, simplistic naive materialism darwinists teach. pat buchanan says science points intelligent design , such existence of natural laws, such in gravity, physics or chemistry, implies existence of lawmaker. steve sailer has argued leftists downplay politically incorrect implications of evolution. sailer writes, instance, richard dawkins dances around real implications of kin selection theory:

[pierre l. van den berghe s concept of] ethnic nepotism [lead him to] sociobiology , bedrock finding: late william d. hamilton s theory of kin selection , inclusive fitness—the more genes share individual, more altruistic feel toward him. there no clear boundaries between extended family, tribe, ethnic group, or race. van den berghe coined term ethnic nepotism describe human tendency favor our people. ethnocentrism, clannishness, xenophobia, nationalism, , racism inevitable flip sides of ethnic nepotism... [the] genetic basis ethnic nepotism each racial group strong on average etymologically classic case of nepotism among close kin—the uncle-nephew bond. ethnic nepotism isn t metaphor. s reality. , d better accept it—whether richard dawkins thinks career or not.

eschewing platonic definitions of race, sailer argues race better thought of in terms of common ancestry. argues:

a race extremely extended family... [a]s extend boundaries of extended family farther , farther out, typically find start turning in upon themselves. families down through history have married exclusively within sort of population s more restricted entire human species. thus, while traits unique family fade time (forward or backward) , outward more distant relatives, racial group s biological traits can remain quite stable on long periods.