Against Democracy and Equality: The New European Right

by Tomislav Sunić

In this important work, Dr. Sunic takes a detailed look at the European "New Right," a significant intellectual movement of men and women who are concerned about the survival of the West. This book Against Democracy and Equality provides a survey of the New Right's origins, impact and outstanding figures, and an overview of the theory of "revolutionary conservatism."

A healthy, enduring society, say New Right thinkers, must be based on the natural principles of hierarchy and aristocracy. Carl Schmidtt, Oswald Spengler, Alain de Benoist, and the other leading figures of this intellectual current contend that egalitarianism whether manifest in Marxism or in liberal democracy inevitably leads to social decay and entropy.

Rejecting both traditional liberalism and conservatism, the New Right calls for a European rebirth rooted in a stern awareness of history and human nature, and based on a recognition of Europe as an organic entity.

This book, explains a review in American Renaissance newsletter, "not only traces the history of 'revolutionary conservatism' but introduces a contemporary school of European writers who are struggling to find answers to the questions that, in America, are not yet being asked. ...Dr. Sunic has given us an important book. This review can only begin to summarize the richness of thought that he has found in scores of books and journals that are not even available in English. Dr. Sunic has opened the door to a great but little-known body of learning that directly addresses our current crisis.

Samuel Francis, an American scholar and syndicated columnist, writes that Tomislav Sunic "has managed to pack in a good deal of information and to discover several important common themes among the writers he surveys... By far the most intriguing part of Mr. Sunic book is his account of the New Right's critique of equality, 'economism,' and Judeo-Christianity, which, rather than the secularism of the Enlightenment, it sees as the root of egalitarianism and universalism."

Tomislav Sunic was born in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1953. He studied French and English at the University of Zagreb before taking a Master's degree at California State University, Sacramento. He received a doctorate in political science in 1988 from the University of California, Santa Barbara. he has served as a professor at California State University, the University of California, and Juniata College in Pennsylvania. He has lectured widely in Europe and the United States. Articles, reviews and essays by Sunic have appeared in a range of periodicals, including The Wall Street Journal, Le Monde and Chronicles. He has been interviewed many times on radio and television, including CNN and "The MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour."

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Philosophy

241 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Croatian-American writer, translator and a former professor.

He is best known for his books and writings critical of egalitarianism, biblical monotheism and liberal political discourse. His views are often cited as part of the Nouvelle Droite movement in Europe.

Reviews

[Cwn_annwn_13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I agree with many of the ideas expressed by the so called European "new right" (not to be confused with neo-conservatism or traditional right wing paleo-conservatism) especially the faction that wants to be rid of Christianity and bring back Paganism in Europe, reading this book was about as exciting or interesting as watching paint dry.

Another fault this book has is it paints the "new right" as being a real political movement when in reality it is nothing but a vague ideology that is derived from the writings of a few intellectuals. As I said I like many of the ideas of the "new right" but this book just didn't do anything for me. Read this only if you have a big interest in the subject or some of the writers that helped shape this ideology.

[Matthew W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being extremely eager to read "Against Democracy and Equality", the book proved to be a work of rigid prose and recycled/mixed thought.

"The New Right" (adopting its name from a slur created by the French Media), is essentially a mix of Leftist and Rightist ideas. While taking influence from great Occidental minds like Spengler, Pareto, and Schmitt, the New Right also takes influence from Leftists like Italian Marxist theorist Antonio Gramsci. The New Right believes (rightfully) designations like "left" and "right" have lost their meanings due to decades/centuries of linguistic bastardizations, especially in the United States.

In "Against Demoracy and Equality", Tomislav Suni (unsurprisingly, he originally wrote the book as a doctoral dissertation) gives a general breakdown of the New Right -- a mere intellectual think-tank -- in a most pedantic manner. I must admit that Sunic's book brought me to the realization as to how intellectually bankrupt the European "right" is nowadays. Where are our new Nietzsches, Spenglers, and Schmitts with fresh and realistic revolutionary ideas? What the West really needs is revolutionary thinkers yet the New Right seems only able to reproduce the thoughts of those from a very different pre-1945 past.

To be honest, I thought the most interesting part of the book is the "Manifesto for a European Renaissance" by Alain de Benoist and Charles Champetier featured in the appendix yet this work is also not much more than a reproduction of past theories.

Unfortunately, "Against Democracy and Equality" is one of the few books on the New Right that has been translated into English, thus it is still an imperative work for those individuals interested in modern pro-Occidental thought.

[Jacob Senholt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent introduction to the European New Right, or should I say, the ideas of the New Right, as there is not so much about the actual persons and movements related to the New Right and their history, and more a discussion of the principles on which this school of intellectuals stand.

Good explanatory footnotes, and also nice to have the complete ENR manifesto by de Benoist as an appendix.

I would however still rank New Culture, New Right: Anti-Liberalism in Postmodern Europe a better overall introduction.

[RY · Rating 4 out of 5]

a well written neoreactionary manifesto. fairly convincing and innovative. but like many manifestos/treatises it suffers from repetition and verbosity, taking several hundred pages to say roughly five things. either way, a welcome piece of political philosophy to counteract the liberal group masturbation that dominates academia today.

[Colm Gillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many people will not go near this book with a bargepole because the 'European New Right' (who contribute to this book) is confused with either Fascists or traditional conservatives. While the ENR is not another crazy bunch of right-wing extremists, the book itself is a little disappointing. You could forgive the long series of prefaces and introductions that begin the book if the main part was engaging. To a degree the reader will be engaged. The ideas are interesting although many of the criticisms of Christianity and Plato smack of Nietzsche. However, a lot of the same ideas are rehashed again and again and the style is elegant but a little boring. As said before these arent bloodthirsty Fascists but a few theories are certainly morally questionable. All in all, a book that reads like a perpetual introduction and its obvious that it needed a lot of editing and rewriting.

[Conor]

I found this a wonderful read compared to most summaries of far right political theory. The ideas of the New Right don't interest me as much in themselves as they do as reactions to economics and ownership gaining ground in all aspects of public and personal life. There are some interesting reactions in here, and Sunic seems to do a fine job covering them. Most interestingly; theories about what happens when a ever expanding liberal democracy hits the rocks of economic crisis is always interesting.

On the other hand, after a bit of reading up on Sunic, it turns out he's pretty deeply entrenched in white nationalist politics. That's not disclosed in the book, and a hidden bias in a scholarly text draws some of the text into question.

[Jason Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good introduction to important influences on the "new right" in Europe. A bit short on content compared to length, but the book wasn't terribly long. And the footnotes and authors mentioned in the text provide a great overview to further explore these ideas.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard to review this since the content and authorship is fascist bullshit, but it lays out what the European New Right believes very clearly. So in that way it is incredibly useful.

[James Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rocked my world again and again.

[Andrew Nolan]

Great overview of the European New Right, clearly written and easy to follow. The additional prefaces and notes at the beginning and the Manifesto for a European Renaissance by de Benoist and Champetier make this the essential version of the text.

Required reading for anyone not familiar with the New Right's Gramscian approach to meta-politics, which is a the current left/ right battleground (see many a discussion on Death in June, Sol Invictus and the contemporary cultural currency of thinkers like Julius Evola)

[cinna annelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept of mankind is a zoological expression, an empty word. But conjure away the phantom, break the magic circle, and at once there emerges an astonishing wealth of actual forms — the Living with all its immense fullness, depth and movement...an array of mighty cultures, each with its own form, own passion, and its own life and death. Thus, cultures, peoples, languages, truths, gods and landscapes bloom and age as the oaks, twigs and leaves — but there is no aging “Mankind”. All cultures grow in their own sublime futility and human will can never reverse this process.

[Kristina]

A must-read for anyone interested in the European 'New Right' movement.