The Political Right and Equality: Turning Back the Tide of Egalitarian Modernity

Matt McManus' book explores the conservative and reactionary tradition, tracing its core to a nostalgia for the hierarchical cosmos of antiquarian and scholastic thinking. He argues that this nostalgia can harden into a resentment at the perceived shallowness of liberal modernity and that those who support the project of modernity should commit themselves to better understanding the depth of the political rights critiques.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 268 pages
Publication date: 21 July 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The conservative and reactionary tradition, spanning from Aristotle and Filmer to Alexander Dugin and Patrick Deneen, is explored intellectually in Matt McManus' book. McManus traces the intellectual political right's core to a longing for the hierarchical cosmos of antiquarian and scholastic thinking, which he believes is the source of the conservative admiration for orderly political and social stratification. This nostalgia can manifest in more moderate forms of liberal conservatism, as the political right grapples with the politics of liberal capitalism and universal suffrage. However, in its most radical forms, this nostalgia can turn into resentment towards the perceived shallowness of liberal modernity. McManus argues that those who support the project of modernity should commit themselves to better understanding the depth of the political rights critiques, which often expose uncomfortable but solvable problems with the quest for equality and freedom.

This book is a critical guide to the history of conservative and reactionary thought for students and scholars of political science and political history. While there are many competing explanations for the contemporary rise of right-wing forces, McManus' book suggests that hostility to equality is the unifying factor among the right. By focusing on key intellectuals and writers, McManus offers a compelling explanation for the disproportionate intensity of right-wing grievance politics. This book is a valuable addition to the literature on political ideology and social movements.

Weight: 464g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032310831