There is a type of man who appears at the end of every civilization.

We are already familiar with this archetype. He is sophisticated without a noble ancestry. Intelligent, but not wise. He speaks endlessly of freedom, contracts, trade routes, incentives, and other practical matters. Yet, he distrusts banners and ignores myths. He ignores covenants, customs, and ancestral obligations. He believes society is a marketplace.

The modern Libertarian imagines himself as a creature of the future. In reality, he is among the oldest archetypes in history. We are not discussing revolutionaries, pioneers, or the founding fathers of an empire. This archetype is not a builder of civilizations, nor is he a conqueror, nor a member of a select priesthood. He is not even a hermit. This archetype typically arrives much later after the establishment of a lasting society.

From Carthage to Silicon Valley
If you are reading this, you are likely already familiar with the Spenglerian idea of a declining Western world. This is not a theory so much as a recurring pattern. Remembering the science of civilizational morphology and recognizing recurring patterns of decline is about as practical as recognizing the natural human life cycle. Likewise, accepting the view that accepting certain ideological movements and policies can accelerate the process of civilizational deterioration is as practical as accepting the view that a fixed negative emotional state contributes to physiological degeneration, including increased oxidative stress. In this manner, it benefits us to identify the natural processes of deterioration inflicting us today.

The arrival of a social archetype as a dominant cultural influence marks a phase of development of a civilization. In this piece, we are examining one of the last stages of development: the swan song. We have many examples to draw from. The Carthaginian merchant elites are an exemplary expression of this archetype. Namely, the merchant-cosmopolitan archetype. This group helped define the political and economic prowess during a crucial moment in the city’s history. Carthage’s power was not articulated by military power alone, but rather through its success in trade. There are more examples. Following the Wars of Alexander the Great, cities like Alexandria also became highly cosmopolitan trading centers harboring a multicultural population. Philosophical skepticism and less attachment to old tribal customs and identities bubbled up in the cultural Zeitgeist of the area and time. The Cynics, Epicureans, and certain Sophist traditions flourished as deracinated philosophical movements. Years later, varying strains of this archetype would appear scattered amongst many different cultures.

The Republic of Venice was primarily organized around trade networks and the financial resources that it accumulated. Arriving already encumbered by wealth, the republican Venetian oligarchy maintained a Mediterranean empire through maritime commerce, the consistent application of institutions, and even religious legitimacy. Similarly, the Dutch Golden Age produced perhaps the clearest early-modern example of the cosmopolitan class. The Dutch Republic was one of the leading commercial powers in Europe, easily maintaining an intimidating presence in the world of international trade through the development of major shipping routes.

Needless to say, the decline of these empires occurs over time, albeit with slightly different symptoms and processes. However, the story generally ends all the same. Here, we have reached our present situation. Mid-20th century libertarianism took form after the emergence of Cold War anti-statism, increased economic cynicism in response to Keynesian economics, and the rise of individualism. Figures like Ayn Rand elevated the rational and fully-autonomous individual into a near-sacred archetype. Biting at the heels of Positivism, adherents of this philosophical movement sought to defend human liberty and autonomy against the threat of collectivism and sacrificial ethics. Some would argue that the consequences of this position ignored the benefits of national identity, ancestral honor, and obligation.

It is not difficult to ascertain what form this archetype takes on today. Silicon Valley: the known technocracy defined by borderless aims, digital nomadism, and — most importantly — a beneficiary of globalism. How different are the Silicon Valley tech industry professionals from the Venetian and Dutch elites perfecting commercial trade?

The Libertarian Dilemma of Decline
Civilizations typically need both archetypes to flourish: the warrior and the merchant. Unadulterated militarism prevents adequate growth, but absolute commercialism naturally dissolves cohesion and meaning. Both standing on their own lack a functional (therefore healthy) understanding of self-concept.

The ancient warrior intuitively understands lineage, glory, and continuity in a sacred form. The peasant understands the impact of seasonal cyclicality and the importance of inheritance. The priest and specialist understands the processes of discovery, scientific methodology and an idea of the cosmic order. The merchant — especially the detached merchant — simply understands exchange. To the merchant, the national border is yet another barrier to his ultimate objective. Cultural custom is an organically occurring preference, or buyer’s remorse. A nation is a tax regime system. The modern libertarian still believes he is freeing mankind from the illusory aspects of primitive custom. What he is actually doing is dissolving all non-economic aspects of meaning. Most awful, it negates the very concept of the archetype so as to not identify its own occurrence. This causes spiritual exhaustion.

As a civilization becomes continually uprooted from its foundational and identifiable elements, it falls into its predictable demise. This demise is precipitated by the homogeneity of global identity which is connected by one thing (and I assume you already know what it is). However, it is important to note that it is a mistake to assume that libertarian market policies or principles in and of themselves lead to collapse. The original principles espoused by the libertarian worldview— individualism, limited government, and spontaneous order—do not lead to a collapse themselves. This ideology is normally an outcome of the pattern of decline or cultural dissolution. One must assume, then, that it is possible to maintain the ideology of the merchant and warrior. Perhaps we are reaching a point where the understanding the importance of preserving both the warrior and merchant is becoming accepted; but time will tell.