New Discourses

Integralism, Authority, and the Refactoring of Social Order | Michael O'Fallon

Jan 5, 2026
Michael O'Fallon dives into the challenges posed by integralism and post-liberal movements on individual liberty and pluralism. He highlights how concepts like distributism can centralize authority, blurring lines between spiritual and temporal powers. O'Fallon warns against the risks of technocracy and cultural provocations that escalate societal tensions. He also discusses alliances between religious institutions and political elites, urging a careful examination of emerging authority structures to safeguard freedom and dignity.
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INSIGHT

Integralism's Political-Spiritual Fusion

  • Integralism seeks to subordinate temporal political power to a spiritual authority to order people toward an eternal end.
  • This challenges liberal separation of church and state and risks centralizing authority over conscience.
INSIGHT

Subsidiarity Can Mask Centralization

  • Distributism and subsidiarity frame economic and political change as serving the 'common good' rather than individual rights.
  • O'Fallon warns these ideas can be used to shift authority away from individuals toward centralized or coordinated structures.
INSIGHT

Ecumenical Neo-Integralism Emerges

  • Neo-integralism aims to create an ecumenical fusion of spiritual and temporal power across faiths, not just within Catholicism.
  • That fusion assembles a
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