Alain de Benoist's anti -political philosophy beyond Left and Right: Non-emancipatory responses to globalisation and crisis

Research output: Working paper

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyse and critique non-emancipatory and anti-political formsof opposition to globalisation and to the current Eurozone management of the global financialcrisis. It will question, amongst other themes, critiques of globalisation that present themselves as mere critiques of capitalist excess or capital‟s „transnational‟ form. This opens up the problem of the national/global antinomy as well as of responses that contain anationalist or traditionalist element. The paper draws primarily on a critical discussion of thework of „ European New Right ‟ philosopher Alain de Benoist. In de Benoist‟s writings it detects an anti-political rejection of the political divide between left and right, which aligns itwith contemporary neo-fascist opposition to the Eurozone crisis. The paper will reflect uponthis alignment through a discussion of Marxist critical theory, putting forward the argumentthat capitalist processes must be understood as non-personal domination rather than as asystem of individual greed or wilful exploitation. This should also open up the possibility tore-evaluate some of the recent progressive, yet largely populist, movement mobilisationsdirected at the crisis.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2013

Keywords

  • anti-politics
  • economic crisis
  • globalisation
  • populism
  • neo-fascism

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