The (Old) New Right: Notes on an Integral Conservatism – David Storey, PhD on July 10
In next Wednesday’s Zoom meetup (July 10th, 2024), David Storey, PhD, will present “The (Old) New Right: Notes on an Integral Conservatism.”
Here is an introduction to this topic from David:
On the eve of the Republican National Convention and as we approach the November election, it is worth zooming out and asking some basic questions: What is happening on the New Right? Where is it going? And how can integral philosophy help us make sense of it?
In this talk, I use the spiral dynamics colors to help categorize the camps and characters that have emerged on the post-Trump Right, from Christian nationalism to QAnon to the “Tech Right,” from “Barstool Conservatives” to “Bronze Age Pervert” to the “Benedict Option,” and more. I focus, in particular, on a new front in conservative political thought: so-called “post-liberalism.” This movement is closely tied to “Catholic integralism” which, as I explain, is worlds apart from the integralism we are familiar with. I argue that this vision is actually a mashup of a pre-liberal traditionalism aiming to undo the separation of church and state and a postmodern conservatism consumed by identity politics and detached from empirical reality. By rejecting the fruits of modernity, post-liberals are the mirror of many progressives. At the same time, they intuit a crucial point: the most important thing we can do to stabilize the body politic is to regrow healthy traditionalism, the collective heart chakra of society.
I conclude by offering some thoughts on what a truly integral conservatism might look like and some predictions about how it will likely play out over the middle term.
David Storey, PhD, is a professor of philosophy at Boston College, where he teaches courses on the Great Books of Western Culture, climate change, emerging technologies, pilgrimage, and philosophy as a way of life. He is currently completing a certification in integral coaching through New Ventures West and is a certified mediation teacher through the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults.