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The rise of radicalism;: The social psychology of messianic extremism
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January 30, 2026
3 Jan. 2018
I read this book somewhere about 1977-9. It made a HUGE impression on me. Methvin did a simply marvelous job of summarizing the key ideas of the key authors in the totalitarian line of thought, from Plato to Rousseau, Robespierre, Babeuf to Marx, Chernyshevsky, Nechayev, Tkachev, Lenin, Mao, Mussolini, Hitler, & the "New Left."
The names in that list that you probably have not heard of:
Babeuf, Chernyshevsky, Nechayev, & Tkachev,
are all crucial for really getting to know how pernicious the statist &/or nihilist ideologies are. They are precursors and greatly influential in so many of the "Progressives", AntiFa, "Socialists," etc. of today. Even some of the militant/theocratic Muslim leaders' ideas of today, fit in very nicely in this line of thinking. And though they may not have been directly influenced by the authors described in the book, the ideas are commonly destructive.
Had you ever really considered how Plato started this all off?
And how could Mussolini and Hitler be considered part of this leftist tradition, when everyone knows they were "right wing?"
Another ancient myth that is used to great effect almost throughout the book is the story of Procrustes. I love the analogy and I bet Methvin's continuing use of this idea in the book will make these many authors much more comprehensible to you too.
I have referred back to this book countless times since I first read it. I have given away numerous copies. This is a classic for anyone who wants to really understand where the hate comes from in the Social Justice Warriors (SJW), BLM cadres, Antifa Fascists, and where the delusions come from, even though the latter groups emerged after this book was published. The summaries, explanations and tie-ins of the histories and ideas of these authors is very well done. Pretty dramatic too.
As is usual for many of the key books I have read to help me understand the world much better, this one was recommended to me by my mentor, Drew Silva, now deceased.
The book lacks some libertarian and/or classical liberal insights, such as those described best by Ludwig von Mises on the importance of economics to the counter-ideology of (classical) liberalism that is so much more positive toward humanity and human thriving. So, combining this book with a good understanding of Mises, Hayek and laissez faire ideas will be a firm bulwark against the hate, the delusions, and the destructionism of the people and ideas described in this book and so common in our culture and politics of today.
One other thing that libertarians have taught me that this book is very bad about - is the original/root meaning of term "radical." The author uses it as a pejorative of course, alluding to the narrow definition of the violence that it can/sometimes imply. However, the etymological definition, which libertarians and objectivists use is the meaning: "getting to the root." Think of it. What other word describes people who are not satisfied with the surface meaning or a superficial understanding of a subject, but rather delve into the very root of the topic and unmask the key elements?
Libertarians, classical liberals and objectivists do that, and are therefore proud to wear the "radicals for capitalism" slogan. But of course, that is very confusing to the conservatives who think "radical" must imply adherence to a violent philosophy. So the very title (and theme) of Methvin's book is not a helpful clarification, unless one understands up-front, that it is in error and to just forget that particular definitional problem and move on. If you do that, and just substitute for the term "radical" throughout the book, something like: "coercive utopian" "totalitarian" or "radical authoritarian" you can get excellent insights from the book. Highly recommended.
I read this book somewhere about 1977-9. It made a HUGE impression on me. Methvin did a simply marvelous job of summarizing the key ideas of the key authors in the totalitarian line of thought, from Plato to Rousseau, Robespierre, Babeuf to Marx, Chernyshevsky, Nechayev, Tkachev, Lenin, Mao, Mussolini, Hitler, & the "New Left."
The names in that list that you probably have not heard of:
Babeuf, Chernyshevsky, Nechayev, & Tkachev,
are all crucial for really getting to know how pernicious the statist &/or nihilist ideologies are. They are precursors and greatly influential in so many of the "Progressives", AntiFa, "Socialists," etc. of today. Even some of the militant/theocratic Muslim leaders' ideas of today, fit in very nicely in this line of thinking. And though they may not have been directly influenced by the authors described in the book, the ideas are commonly destructive.
Had you ever really considered how Plato started this all off?
And how could Mussolini and Hitler be considered part of this leftist tradition, when everyone knows they were "right wing?"
Another ancient myth that is used to great effect almost throughout the book is the story of Procrustes. I love the analogy and I bet Methvin's continuing use of this idea in the book will make these many authors much more comprehensible to you too.
I have referred back to this book countless times since I first read it. I have given away numerous copies. This is a classic for anyone who wants to really understand where the hate comes from in the Social Justice Warriors (SJW), BLM cadres, Antifa Fascists, and where the delusions come from, even though the latter groups emerged after this book was published. The summaries, explanations and tie-ins of the histories and ideas of these authors is very well done. Pretty dramatic too.
As is usual for many of the key books I have read to help me understand the world much better, this one was recommended to me by my mentor, Drew Silva, now deceased.
The book lacks some libertarian and/or classical liberal insights, such as those described best by Ludwig von Mises on the importance of economics to the counter-ideology of (classical) liberalism that is so much more positive toward humanity and human thriving. So, combining this book with a good understanding of Mises, Hayek and laissez faire ideas will be a firm bulwark against the hate, the delusions, and the destructionism of the people and ideas described in this book and so common in our culture and politics of today.
One other thing that libertarians have taught me that this book is very bad about - is the original/root meaning of term "radical." The author uses it as a pejorative of course, alluding to the narrow definition of the violence that it can/sometimes imply. However, the etymological definition, which libertarians and objectivists use is the meaning: "getting to the root." Think of it. What other word describes people who are not satisfied with the surface meaning or a superficial understanding of a subject, but rather delve into the very root of the topic and unmask the key elements?
Libertarians, classical liberals and objectivists do that, and are therefore proud to wear the "radicals for capitalism" slogan. But of course, that is very confusing to the conservatives who think "radical" must imply adherence to a violent philosophy. So the very title (and theme) of Methvin's book is not a helpful clarification, unless one understands up-front, that it is in error and to just forget that particular definitional problem and move on. If you do that, and just substitute for the term "radical" throughout the book, something like: "coercive utopian" "totalitarian" or "radical authoritarian" you can get excellent insights from the book. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review