Romantic Authoritarianism
20th Century Fascism may have been an early indicator of how many cultures may react to the spread of Liberalism, Secularism, Internationalism, or Industrialization. Perhaps Fascism can productively be thought of as a member of an ideological group I call “Romantic Authoritarianism”. Here are some of the thoughts I had when attempting to define this category.
I use the term “Romantic” in the sense that it appeals to emotional, pre-modern (or more contemporary notions of “traditional”) ways of experiencing the world that deemphasize rational discourse and clinical legal justice. In a Romantic culture, religion, justice, and mating may be closely related in highly emotional ways. Violent struggles and other demonstrations of “worthiness” may be central to the cultural processes that the Romantic feels keep humanity from growing pathetic and subhuman. Instead of completely rejecting all modern technology and cultural conventions, Romantics may sometimes augment their ability to promote Romanticism by coopting some of the implements of Modernism (e.g. modern broadcast media, large scale manufacturing).
I use the term “Authoritarianism” in the sense that there is a pervasive use of unjustified, coercive force -which may include extreme physical or psychological violence. The Authoritarian may feel that there is a natural process by which authority is justly obtained and exercised. They may talk about authority in terms of “Meritocracy”, where the one who is empowered is allowed to exercise their authority with impunity for as long as they are able to prevent competitors from wresting control — the idea being that those who obtain power through merit deserve it, and those that use their power badly should quickly be overpowered by their victims or other competitors. The rights of the individual may often by ignored to accomplish an authority figure’s plans or to maintain the authority figure’s power.
Romantic Authoritarianism may connect deeply with human nature and pose a perpetual threat to human rights and dignity. Romanticism without Authoritarianism is more ethically permissible but may still threaten individual rights and lead to easily avoidable suffering. The tendency of humans to pursue Romantic, premodern ways of being should be anticipated and only permitted to be expressed in ways that are consistent with human rights. New methods of monitoring and law enforcement may be necessary. Authoritarianism is a discredited way of organizing human societies and should not play a substantial role in how a society is regulated. Some forms of Authoritarianism may be permissible in arrangements that only include voluntary participates, where consent is obtain in legitimate ways and can be withdrawn by participates in reasonable, unilateral ways (e.g. voluntary sports or martial arts, voluntary military training).
