The Kids Are Alt-Right: the Intellectual Origins of the Alt-Right
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Kids are Alt-Right: The Intellectual Origins of the Alt-Right ANDREW WILLIAM JONES A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN POLITICAL SCIENCE YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO AUGUST 2019 ©Andrew William Jones, 2019 Abstract The electoral success and increased media presence of the Far-Right ideology known as the Alternative Right has catapulted the once marginal fringe movement into popular political discourse. The term Alternative Right is used in contrast to Alt-Right, which is a specific subsection of the broader Alt-Right who are associated with Richard Spencer. This dissertation examines the theories that make up the Alternative Right by addressing the question: “How have the divergent political theory traditions of the Alternative Right coalesced into a new reactionary political ideology?”The first half of the dissertation defines the Alternative Right and the historical context for the movement. The dissertation defines the Alternative Right by its axioms of the right to difference, the primacy of cultural metapolitics and hierarchical individualism. The second half examines the four major intellectual influences of the Alternative Right: The Techno-libertarians know as the Grey Tribe, NeoReactionary Thought, the European New Right and the American White Nationalists. The dissertation concludes that the divergent political theory of the Alternative Right is unified based on its shared reactionary values, its break from American liberal- conservativism and a consistent focus on the literature of radicalization and critique. The goal of the Alternative Right is a rebirth of racial/gendered consciousness and a new American/European renaissance. ii Dedication For those who wish to see with eyes unclouded by hate. iii Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without extensive support and assistance from my supervisor, committee, family, partner, colleagues and friends. I would like first to thank my supervisor, Shannon Bell, for assisting me throughout the dissertation and Ph.D. Her feedback, guidance and support are the reasons that this is a 300-page dissertation and not still a 30-page dissertation proposal. I want to thank both the current, former and unofficial members of my committee throughout my Ph.D. The guidance from Stephen Newman, Robert Latham, David Mutimer, David McNally and Elizabeth Dauphine was invaluable for narrowing down my topic, guiding my research and providing the necessary feedback to complete a dissertation. This dissertation and my entire post-secondary education would not have been possible without my family. My parents Ian and Tammy Jones have helped me in more ways than I can mention, thank you for making this opportunity possible. I am grateful for the care and assistance that my partner Laura Moore has provided me throughout the dissertation. It was undoubtedly difficult to both finish law school and live with someone who spent most of his days reading extremist literature. Thank you for everything. I would also like to thank your parents Marion and Jerry Moore for all the support they provided while I was in Victoria writing my dissertation. Studying the Alternative Right has been mentally taxing, and if it was not for my close friends and colleagues, keeping me sane, I do not know what I would do. I want to thank my colleagues: Chris Vandenberg, Kirsten Per Andersen, James Fitzgerald, Brent Toye, Justan Pastusiak and Myles Carroll-Preyde at York University whom I shared long hours within the Graduate Reading Room, Future Café and Robarts Library. I also wish to thank Bojan Pirnat, Laura Metcalfe, Michael Urban, Gregory Furmaniuk and all my other friends who supported throughout this Ph.D. iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ ii Dedication ................................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................ v Part 1: Historical Context .......................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: What is the Alternative Right? ........................................................................................... 3 What is the Alternative Right? .......................................................................................................... 3 Three Considerations for those Examining the Alternative Right ............................................... 13 What makes the Alternative Right so new? .................................................................................... 16 The Elements of the Philosophy of the Alternative Right ............................................................. 22 A Revolutionary Reactionary Movement ....................................................................................... 38 A New Reactionary Ideology ............................................................................................................ 41 Chapter 2: Who is the Alternative Right? .......................................................................................... 43 What is the Alt-Right minimum? .................................................................................................... 43 What defines the Alternative Right? ............................................................................................... 43 What the Alt-Right is not: ................................................................................................................ 62 Chapter 3: A Quick History of the American Alternative Right ...................................................... 90 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 90 The Precursor Period........................................................................................................................ 91 The Incubatory Period.................................................................................................................... 104 The Contemporary Period ............................................................................................................. 114 The Future of the Alt-Right ........................................................................................................... 125 Part 2: The Political Theorists Who Influenced the Alt-Right ........................................................... 127 Chapter 4: The Grey Tribe: South Park Libertarians, Jordan Peterson, the Radicalization of Young Men .......................................................................................................................................... 128 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 128 The Alternative Right Political Theory as a (pop)-Cultural Development ................................ 131 The Grey Tribe ................................................................................................................................ 137 The Path to Radicalization ............................................................................................................. 143 v Peter Thiel ........................................................................................................................................ 146 The Incels ......................................................................................................................................... 150 Jordan Peterson .............................................................................................................................. 153 The Christchurch attack and radicalization ................................................................................ 157 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 163 Chapter 5: The NeoReactionaries: Nick Land and Curtis Yarvin ................................................. 165 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 165 The Six Key Ideas of NeoReaction ................................................................................................. 167 The Form of NeoReactionary Writing .......................................................................................... 170 What is the Cathedral? ................................................................................................................... 173 Exit - How to Resist like a Reactionary ......................................................................................... 177 Monarchy and NeoCameralism ..................................................................................................... 183 Biological Determinism..................................................................................................................