The Ideology of the New Right and Religious Conservativism. Towards an Ethical Critique of the New Politics of Authoritarianism

Abstract

This article analyses the ideological matrix of the so-called right-wing populist movements, which was developed by Alain de Benoist, the founder of the Nouvelle Droite in France. The ideology of the New Right breaks with two dogmas of the old fascism: racism andtheabolitionofdemocracy.DeBenoistreplacesracism withethnopluralismandaims at a radical reform of democracy. Inspired by the model of Athenian polis, de Benoist propagates the concept of an “organic democracy” based on ethnic homogeneity. Thus, the idea of pre-state human rights is criticized as ideological product of Christianity and the Enlightenment. For that reason, the ideology of the New Right has not only an illiberalbutalsoaneo-paganagenda.ForthatreasonChristianallianceswithnew-rightist movements involve themselves in ideological contradictions. The perversions of Christian ethics through an ethnic concept of democracy can be illustrated by Victor Orb’n!s foundation of an “illiberal state” in Hungary. Thus, this ideology aims to erode both the democratic constitutional state and the universalistic dimension of Christian ethics.