Neoreaction (abbreviated as NRx, also known as Dark Enlightenment) is a far-right social and political philosophy using libertarian idea of unlimited property rights to justify authoritarian government powers. It was developed in the late 2000s by the American blogger Mencius Moldbug and then elaborated by Nick Land and Michael Anissimov. While relatively unknown to the general public, it has some dedicated followers on blogosphere and social media. Milder elements of neoreactionary thought influences neo-nationalism, even though neoreactionaries' disdain for democracy and "stupid masses" is an opposite of neo-nationalists' populism. More dangerous parts of NRx philosophy are espoused by the manosphere and among alt-right groups, although in less intellectually articulate form.
Defining traits of neoreaction include:
- Criticism of democracy. Some neoreactionaries are traditional monarchists, others prefer a state governed like a corporation by a technocratic elite.
- Rejection of any form of egalitarianism, promoting strict hierarchy based on IQ, in practice often advocating white supremacy, although there are also Jewish and East Asian variants of this idea
- Cynical "realism" based on evolutionary psychology, dislike for any form of moral idealism
- Dislike of intellectuals and cultural elites, sometimes presented as a "Cathedral" or "Cultural Marxist" conspiracy theory
- Fondness for old-style Western culture, broadly centred on G.I. generation values: technocratic thinking, support for prosperity and security at the expense of freedom
- Support for "family values", in practice putting mature men on pedestal, while denigrating women and youth
- Belief that Western civilization faces existential threat from Islamic immigation and social justice activism
- Dislike of environmentalism and claim that global warming is a Leftist hoax
- Sometimes rejection of Christianity as responsible for the Enlightenment and modern Left
- Sometimes positive view of Vladimir Putin
Some scholars divide neoreactionaries into "techno-commercial" and "romantic" subgroups, based on their attitude to modern technology.