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Sources of attraction : Intellectuals and the far-right
Robertson, Narelle
Robertson, Narelle
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Abstract
This dissertation uses a unique framework through which to examine how and why philosophers and other intellectuals are attracted to extreme, often violent ideologies, particularly, in this instance, Fascism and the modern Far-right. At the same time, I examine how intellectuals’ thoughts, ideas and even their follies have influenced modern Far-right thinking and ideologies. It identifies four themes from the literature which, I argue, have driven and again now drive some intellectuals’ embrace of anti-democratic, anti-egalitarian sentiments and everything that comes from this. The framework develops four themes 1. Elitism and Exceptionalism: these interlinking notions underpin anti-democratic leanings of some thinkers that abhor the thought of delegation of the political to the masses. 2. Apocalyptic and Utopian Ideation: which perhaps begins with Plato’s ‘Theory of Forms’ –informs some intellectuals’ fascination with projects for the creation of a utopian society through destruction. 3. Spiritual renewal and transformation: interconnected with the last, is the concept of transcendence. Within this concept are several types of religions and spiritualities that feed into different forms of Far-right thinking, and 4. The Aesthetics of Violence: includes modern expressions of the current Alt-right aesthetic, and the broader attraction of the aesthetics of violence to intellectuals. To examine the attractions of these four themes, I examine four case studies of intellectuals who have inspired (or been inspired by) Far-right movements. Two are historical, looking at the work of Julius Evola and Ernst Jünger, who continue to influence current Far-right thought, but who were active during the interwar period. Jünger had an ambivalent relationship with Nazism and Fascism more widely in Europe, Evola, however, attempted to join the Italian Fascist party, only to be rejected on more than one occasion as ‘undesirable.’ As well as the writings of current Far-right philosophers, Alexander Dugin, with his ‘traditionalism’ or ‘fourth political theory,’ I also examine Nick Land and his ‘Dark enlightenment,’ which has excited many ‘tech bros’ associated with the contemporary US Far-right.
Keywords
far-right, fascism, intellectuals, aesthetics, political philosophy, humanities and religion
Date
2025-10-31
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Thesis
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Book
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1-199
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ACU Department
National School of Philosophy
Faculty of Theology and Philosophy
Faculty of Theology and Philosophy
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Open access
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CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International)
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This work © 2026 by Narelle Robertson is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).