New Books Network Authoritarian Ideas, Old and New: From Schmitt to “JD”
Sep 24, 2025
Richard Wolin, a distinguished professor and expert in 20th-century European philosophy, delves into the intellectual roots of today's anti-liberal right. He traces ideas from conservative revolutionaries like Schmitt and Heidegger to modern narratives of decline and warrior brotherhood. The discussion highlights the allure of the 'great replacement' rhetoric and its ties to figures like Peter Thiel and JD Vance. Wolin emphasizes understanding these ideological currents to grasp their implications for liberal democracy moving forward.
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Roots Of Anti-Liberal Cultural Critique
- German conservative revolutionaries like Schmitt, Spengler, and Jünger framed liberal democracy as decadent and promoted leader-centered politics.
- Their cultural critique of egalitarianism and legalism resonates with many contemporary far-right intellectual currents.
Schmitt's Plebiscitary Democracy Returns
- Carl Schmitt redefined democracy as plebiscitary, privileging leader–people unity over liberal safeguards.
- His ideas on the state of exception have re-entered modern debates about emergency power and anti-liberal governance.
Decline Narratives Power Modern Right
- Spengler's thesis of cultural decline fuels anti-democratic rhetoric by linking egalitarianism to decadence.
- Nouvelle Droite and modern critics reuse that decline narrative to denounce rights-based liberalism.
