16. Twosided problem with Douthat's position is he sees liberalism as optimistic & reactionaries as offering salutary pessimistic corrective
-
-
Replying to @HeerJeet
17. Liberalism begins with doubt about virtue-creating regimes. It's built on pessimism, on "low but solid ground" (Strauss)
2 replies 4 retweets 13 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
18. Reactionaries, conversely, are not really pessimistic but rather romantic egotist insanely confident about ability to remake world.
3 replies 6 retweets 22 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
19. Older traditionalism (pre-French Revolution) just tried to maintain status quo. Reactionary mind more emotionally charged defence.
2 replies 3 retweets 7 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
20. It's no accident that Reactionary Mind was born in the same big bang that created French Revolution & romanticism.
1 reply 6 retweets 11 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
21. Edmund Burke's panegyric to Marie Antoinette was of a piece with romantic exultations found in Wordsworth & Coleridge.
2 replies 4 retweets 7 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
22. The Reactionary Mind is a romantic mind. When politicized, it is not humble & pessimistic but ambitious attempt to remake world.
2 replies 9 retweets 22 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
23. Tangential point: Heidegger's reverie over Hitler's "marvellous hands" is example of decadent romanticism.pic.twitter.com/ML0DkcdYnC
2 replies 5 retweets 13 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
24. Douthat is right on big point: reactionary mind is literary. It's rooted in feeling & imagination rather than calculating self-interest
5 replies 4 retweets 9 likes
@DrO_aorzoff As far as i can tell Lewis & Pipes largely influential for clash of civiliztion reasons, not as Spenglerians.
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.