Dark Enlightenment
A current concept decoded by our team
The notion of “Dark Enlightenment” (Lumières obscures) refers to a school of thought known as “neoreactionary.” It is championed by theorist and blogger Curtis Yarvin and is characterized by strongly anti-democratic, anti-egalitarian and anti-progressive positions.
The Dark Enlightenment is thus based on a return to a society that is traditional in how it functions and in its values, with a hierarchy between individuals in their identities and social roles. In addition, the movement rests on an extremely strong and centralized conception and exercise of power around a single person, which can take the form of a monarchical and ultra-capitalist model.
The movement emerged on the margins in the mid-2000s and online, but has taken on a much larger dimension in recent years, most recently in the context of Donald Trump’s election. The neoreactionary current has found support and resonance among figures in the American political sphere, such as Vice President J.D. Vance, in the media sphere with television host Tucker Carlson, and among tech billionaires with Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal.
IN SUMMARY
The “Dark Enlightenment” or “neoreaction” is an anti-democratic, anti-egalitarian and anti-progressive school of thought that emerged online in the 2000s and is gaining strength today among Silicon Valley elites and the Trump administration.
