Anarchism/Anti-State

The Ideology of the 21st Century: Anarchist Conservatism

This is an interesting scholarly work, although I disagree with it in certain places. It certainly should ruffle a few feathers. Let a thousand flowers bloom.

Although it is mostly accepted that the ideologies of conservatism and anarchism are at the very opposite sides of the political thought spectrum, this paper is based on its own speculation that conservatism and anarchism are based on the same grounds. In fact, apart from sharing same philosophical roots, these two ideologies are establishing a neutral alliance spontaneously on the basis of anarcho-capitalism. As a matter of fact, one step further than alliance, conservatism and anarchism are becoming two sides of the same coin and this new ideology can be labelled as anarchist conservatism. This essay aims to reveal and highlight the characteristics of this new ideology in a critical manner.

The list of overlapping ideas between anarchism and traditional European conservative that the article presents is interesting. I’ve often been asked how anarchist like myself became associated with tendencies like the European New Right or the American paleoconservatives (a friend once called me a “synthesist-anarchist paleoconservative”). Here is the answer:

The Similarities of Anarchism and Conservatism:

• Attack on Modernism
• Resistance to human progress
• Attack on Enlightenment
• Attack on Nation States
• Anti-Republicanism
• Attack on modern state

• Admiration of Feudalism
• Admiration of rural life
• Egoism
• Self improvement elitism
• Anti–Constitutionalism
• Self–Help
• Against public authority
• Norms and morality
• Laissez–Faire Capitalism
• No artificial manipulation
• Mediation
• Organic Harmony
• Natural formation
• Anti–Reformism
• Anti–Rationalism
• Privatization and Deregulation
• Pragmatism
• Libertarian
• No social service
• Nostalgia
• Negative Liberty
• Anarcho–Capitalism
• Instincts
• Conservators
• Neighbourhood Watch

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