10/4/2016 AlaindeBenoistWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AlaindeBenoist
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AlaindeBenoist(French:[dbnwa]born11
December1943)isaFrenchacademic,philosopher,[1]
AlaindeBenoist
afounderoftheNouvelleDroite(NewRight),and
headoftheFrenchthinktankGRECE.Benoistisa
criticofneoliberalism,[2]freemarkets,and
egalitarianism.[3]

Contents
1 Biography
2 Views
3 Selectedbibliography
4 References AlaindeBenoistin2012
5 Sources
6 Furtherreading Born 11December1943
7 Externallinks Tours,IndreetLoire,France
Almamater UniversityofParis

School NouvelleDroite
Biography Notable Modernidyandsecularizationof
ideas ChristianValues,RepaganizeofWest,
AlaindeBenoistwasborninSaintSymphorien(now
partofTours,IndreetLoire)andattendedthe Penseunique,NouvelleDroite,
Sorbonne.Hehasstudiedlaw,philosophy,sociology, Ethnopluralism
andthehistoryofreligions.Heisanadmirerof Influences
Europeandpaganism.
Influenced
Benoististheeditoroftwojournals:NouvelleEcole
(NewSchool)since1968,andKrisissince1988.HiswritingshaveappearedinMankindQuarterly,Tyr,
Chronicles,andvariousnewspaperssuchasLeFigaro.TheNewLeftjournalTeloshasalsopublished
Benoist'swork.In1978,hereceivedtheGrandPrixdelEssaifromtheAcadmiefranaiseforhisbook
Vudedroite:Anthologiecritiquedesidescontemporaines(Copernic,1977).Hehaspublishedmore
than50books,includingOnBeingaPagan(Ultra,2005,ISBN0972029222).

In2013hespokeataNationalPolicyInstitute[4]gatheringandgaveaninterviewwithAmerican
Renaissance.[5]Priortothat,EnglishtranslationsofhisbooksbegantobepublishedbyArktosMedia.[6]

Views
FrombeingclosetoFrenchAlgerianmovementsatthebeginningofhiswritingsin1970,hemovedto
attacksonglobalisation,unrestrictedmassimmigrationandliberalismasbeingultimatelyfataltothe
existenceofEuropethroughtheirdivisivenessandinternalfaults.HisinfluencesincludeAntonio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_de_Benoist 1/6
10/4/2016 AlaindeBenoistWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Gramsci,[7]ErnstJnger,JeanBaudrillard,GeorgesDumzil,ErnestRenan,JosOrtegayGasset,
VilfredoPareto,GuyDebord,ArnoldGehlen,StphaneLupasco,HelmutSchelsky,KonradLorenz,the
GermanConservativeRevolutionarymovementandtheNonconformistsofthe1930s.[8]

AgainsttheAmericanliberalideaofameltingpot,Benoistisinfavourofseparatecivilisationsand
cultures:"Ifavorapluralisticworld,apluriversum,whichreconstitutestheworldaroundacertain
numberofgreatcontinentalblocs.Onlytheadventofamultipolarworldwillpreservehumanand
culturaldiversityandregulateglobalizationinawaynotexclusivelyfavorabletotheinterestsofasingle
dominantpower.IdonotbelieveinHuntington'sclashofcivilizationsthesis:Civilizationsarenot
unitaryorhomogeneousblocsandnomiraclewillturnthemintotheprincipalagentsofinternational
relations".[9]HeopposedJeanMarieLePen(eventhoughmanypeopleinfluencedbyBenoistsupport
him),racismandantisemitism.[10]HehasopposedArabimmigrationtoFrance,whilesupportingties
withIslamicculture.[11]Hefavors"ethnopluralism",inwhichorganic,ethnicculturesandnationsmust
liveanddevelopindependently.[12]

HealsoopposesChristianityasinherentlyintolerant,theocraticandbentonpersecution.[13]Hesaid,
"Alltold,IdonotthinkthatoneshouldbepleasedbytheappearanceofChristianityandits
development",andgoesontosay,"Christianityisnotaunitaryblock.St.FrancisofAssisiand
TorquemadagavethesameChurchquitedifferentfaces!Thereisnothingwrongwithpreferringthe
former.IhavewrittenabookentitledOnBeingaPagan,butthathasneverpreventedmefrom
appreciatingCatholicauthorslikeLonBloy,CharlesPguy,GeorgesBernanos,andGustaveThibon,
orfromfeelingagreementwithcertainaspectsofthesocialteachingsoftheChurch."Healsoopposes
reconstructivism:"TheNewRighthasneverpreachedareturntopaganismorareturntoroots,ora
returntoanythingforthatmatter.Instead,wewishtogobeyondcurrentsociety,butwewishtoenvision
thefuturethoughthelensofaclearconsciousnessofthepast.Thesetwoapproachesarequitedifferent:
recurrenceisnotsynonymouswithreturn!Letussaysimplythatonecanfuturizethepresentonlyby
historicizingthepast."
(https://ia801607.us.archive.org/16/items/InterviewOnChristianity/InterviewOnChristianity.pdf)

DeBenoisthasmadepointedcriticismoftheUnitedStates:"BettertowearthehelmetofaRedArmy
soldier,"hewrotein1982,"thantoliveonadietofhamburgersinBrooklyn."[14](Alternatetranslation:
"TohavetowearsomedaythecapoftheRedArmywouldbeanawfulperspective[inFrench:"une
perspectiveaffreuse"].Thisisnotareasontohavethedesiretospendtherestofourlifelivingonadiet
ofhamburgersinBroolyn's[sic]surroundings."[15])In1991,hecomplainedthatEuropeansupportersof
thefirstGulfWarwere"collaboratorsoftheAmericanorder."[16]

Benoisthasdevotedanentirebooktorefutingbiologicalracism(Desanimauxetdeshommes),andhas
writtenthreebooksagainstracism.Hisviewsonracismarethus:Racismisatheorythatpostulates,
eitherthatqualitativeinequalitiesexistamongtheracessuchthatonecandistinguishgenerally
superiorandinferiorraces,orthatthevalueofanindividualisdefinedentirelybyhisorherracial
belonging,oragainthatraceconstitutesthecentraldeterminingfactorinhumanhistory.Thesethree
postulatesmaybeheldtogetherorseparately.Allthreeofthemarefalse(Manifesto).Heopposes
politicalviolence,sayingheisbuilding"aschoolofthought,notapoliticalmovement."[17]Whilehehas
complainedthatnationsliketheUnitedStatessufferfrom"homogenization,"hehasalsodistanced
himselffromsomeofJeanMarieLePen'sviewsonimmigration.[3]

Benoistconsidershimselfbothleftandrightwing("Ihappentodefinemyselfasamanofrightleft,
asarightistfromtheleftandaleftistfromtheright,i.e.,asanintellectualwhosimultaneouslyrefersto
theideasoftheleftandthevaluesoftheright."[18]),andthroughouthiscareerhascontinuedtoadapt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_de_Benoist 2/6
10/4/2016 AlaindeBenoistWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

andalterhisviews:inhispreferenceforMartinHeideggeroverhisfirstinfluence,FriedrichNietzsche
hissupportofmulticulturalismratherthandisappearanceofimmigrants'identities(thoughhedoesnot
supportimmigrationitself)hisinterestinecologyandalessaggressiveviewofChristianity.Hehas
saidthathehopestoseefreedebateandgreaterpopularparticipationindemocracy,althoughheisalso
criticalofmodernliberaldemocracy.[19]

Benoistisalsoaproponentoftheideaofintegralfederalism,inwhichthenationstateissurpassed,
givingwaytoregionalidentitiesandacommoncontinentaloneatonce("WhattheNDwantsisa
federalEurope,foundedontheprincipleofsubsidiarityandparticipatorydemocracyateverylevel,
wherethepoliticalclearlypredominatesovertheeconomic,wherethefinancialmarketsdonotrule
everything,andwherecommercialandmerchantvaluesareputbackintheirproperplace"[20]).This
wouldbedistinctfromwhatheseesastheconsumerismandmaterialismofAmericansociety,aswellas
thebureaucracyandrepressionoftheSovietUnion.ThisvisionlookstoaEuropeofspecificpeoples,
eachwiththeirownculturesandheritages.[21]

Hiscritics,suchasThomasSheehan,arguethatBenoisthasdevelopedanovelrestatementof
fascism.[22]RogerGriffin,usinganidealtypedefinitionoffascismwhichincludes"populistultra
nationalism"and"palingenesis"(heroicrebirth),arguesthattheNouvelleDroitedrawsonsuchfascist
ideologuesasArminMohlerandJuliusEvolainawaythatallowsNouvelleDroiteideologuessuchas
deBenoisttoclaima"metapolitical"stance,butwhichnonethelesshasresidualfascistideological
elements.[23]Benoist'scriticsalsoclaimhisviewsrecallNaziattemptstoreplaceGermanChristianity
withitsownpaganism.[24]

Selectedbibliography
Englishtitlesinclude:"Onbeingapagan"(Ultra2004)"Theproblemofdemocracy"(Arktos2011)
"Beyondhumanrights"(Arktos2011)"CarlSchmittToday"(Arktos2013)Othertitlesinenglish
translationforthcomingfromArktosMedia.[6]

Salandevantl'opinion(souslepseudonymedeFabriceLaroche),SaintJust,1963
LesIndoEuropens,G.E.D.,1966
L'EmpirismelogiqueetlaPhilosophieduCercledeVienne,Nouvellecole,1970
Nietzsche:MoraleetGrandePolitique,GRECE,1973
KonradLorenzetl'thologiemoderne,Nouvellecole,1975
Vudedroite.Anthologiecritiquedesidescontemporaines,Copernic,1977(grandprixdel'essai
del'Acadmiefranaise1978)
LesBretons,LesCahiersdelaBretagnerelle,n396bis,1978
LesIdesl'endroit,LibresHallier,1978
LeGuidepratiquedesprnoms(RobertdeHerteet[sic]AlaindeBenoist),coll.Horssrie
d'EnfantsMagazine,PublicationsGroupeMdia,1979
Commentpeutontrepaen?,AlbinMichel,1981
Orientationspourdesannesdcisives,Labyrinthe,1982
FterNol.LgendesetTraditions,AtlasEdena,1982
Dmocratie:leproblme,Labyrinthe,1985
Europe,Tiersmonde,mmecombat,RobertLaffont,1986
LeGraindesable.Jalonspourunefindesicle,Labyrinthe,1994
Nationalisme:PhnomnologieetCritique,GRECE,1994
DmocratiereprsentativeetDmocratieparticipative,GRECE,1994
NietzscheetlaRvolutionconservatrice,GRECE,1994
L'Empireintrieur,FataMorgana,1995
LaLignedemire.Discoursauxcitoyenseuropens,t.1:19721987,Labyrinthe,1995
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_de_Benoist 3/6
10/4/2016 AlaindeBenoistWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

FamilleetSocit.Origine,Histoire,Actualit,Labyrinthe,1996
LaLignedemire.Discoursauxcitoyenseuropens,t.2:19881995,Labyrinthe,1996
Clineetl'Allemagne,19331945.Unemiseaupoint,LeBulletinclinien,1996
Horizon2000.TroisentretiensavecAlaindeBenoist,GRECE,1996
LaLgendedeClovis,CercleErnestRenan,1996
IndoEuropens:larecherchedufoyerd'origine,Nouvellecole,1997
ErnstJnger.Unebiobibliographie,GuyTrdaniel,1997
CommunismeetNazisme.25rflexionssurletotalitarismeauXXesicle,Labyrinthe,1998
L'cumeetlesGalets.19911999:dixansd'actualitvued'ailleurs,Labyrinthe,2000
Jsussousl'ilcritiquedeshistoriens,CercleErnestRenan,2000
Bibliographied'HenriBraud,AssociationrtaisedesAmisd'HenriBraud,2000
DernireAnne.Notespourconclurelesicle,L'ged'Homme,2001
JsusetsesFrres,CercleErnestRenan,2001
LouisRougier.Savie,sonuvre,CercleErnestRenan,2002
CharlesMaurrasetl'Actionfranaise.Unebibliographie,BCM,2002
Qu'estcequ'unmilitant?(souslepseudonymedeFabriceLaroche,rditiond'unarticleparuen
1963),ArsMagna,2003
CritiquesThoriques,L'ged'Homme,2003
Audeldesdroitsdel'homme.Pourdfendrelesliberts,ditionsKrisis,2004
Bibliographiegnraledesdroitesfranaises.1,ArthurdeGobineau,GustaveLeBon,douard
Drumont,MauriceBarrs,PierreDrieuLaRochelle,HenrydeMontherlant,ThierryMaulnier,
JulienFreund.ditionsDualpha,coll.Patrimoinedeslettres,Coulommiers,2004,609p.
Bibliographiegnraledesdroitesfranaises.2,GeorgesSorel,CharlesMaurras,Georges
Valois,AbelBonnard,HenriBraud,LouisRougier,LucienRebatet,RobertBrasillach.ditions
Dualpha,coll.Patrimoinedeslettres,Coulommiers,2004,472p.
Bibliographiegnraledesdroitesfranaises.3,LouisdeBonald,AlexisdeTocqueville,Georges
VacherdeLapouge,LonDaudet,JacquesBainville,RenBenjamin,HenriMassis,Georges
Bernanos,MauriceBardche,JeanCau.ditionsDualpha,coll.Patrimoinedeslettres,
Coulommiers,2005,648p.
Bibliographiegnraledesdroitesfranaises.4,JosephdeMaistre,ErnestRenan,JulesSoury,
CharlesPguy,AlphonsedeChateaubriant,JacquesBenoistMchin,GustaveThibon,SaintLoup
(MarcAugier),LouisPauwels.ditionsDualpha,coll.Patrimoinedeslettres,Coulommiers,
2005,736p.
JsusetsesFrres,etautrescritssurlechristianisme,lepaganismeetlareligion,ditionsLes
Amisd'AlaindeBenoist,2006
C'estdire.EntretiensTmoignagesExplications(2volumes),ditionsLesAmisd'Alainde
Benoist,2006
Nousetlesautres.Problmatiquedel'identit,ditionsKrisis,2006
CarlSchmittactuel,ditionsKrisis,2007
Demain,ladcroissance!Penserl'cologiejusqu'aubout,Edite,2007
Dictionnairedesprnoms:d'hieretd'aujourd'hui,d'icietd'ailleurs(http://www.revue
elements.com/livresTextesPolitiques19191945.html),JeanPicollec,2009.
Mmoirevive/EntretiensavecFranoisBousquet,ditionsdeFallois,CollectionLittrature,
2mai2012.
EdouardBerthoulesocialismehroque.Sorel,Maurras,Lenine,Pards,2013.
LesDmonsduBien,Dunouvelordremorall'idologiedugenre,PierreGuillaumedeRoux,
2013.

References

1.AbigsplashfromFrance'snewwavefromtheright,TheEconomist,14July1979
2.deBenoist,Alain."Preface:TheNewRight:FortyYearsAfter".InSunic,Tomislav.AgainstDemocracyand
Equality.ISBN9781907166259."Incontrast,onthissideoftheAtlantic,aliberalisprimarilya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_de_Benoist 4/6
10/4/2016 AlaindeBenoistWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

spokesmanofindividualism,asupporteroffreetrade,andanopponentofthestate(andalsoasupporterof
America)."
3.TroubleontherightrecentgainsbytheextremerightleaderJeanMarieLePenhaveleftconservativesand
moderatesconfusedaboutwhethertoimitateorattackhimFranceTheAtlanticFebruary1985
4.Video(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HDoBJRt8WI)onYouTube
5." "WeAreattheEndofSomething"|AmericanRenaissance".Amren.com.20131122.Retrieved20151022
.
6."AlaindeBenoistOurAuthors".Arktos.com.Retrieved20151022.
7.TheMarcusefactor,ModernAge,22March2005.
8.Posthistoire:HasHistoryCometoanEnd?,CLIO,1January1994.
9."EuropeanSon:AnInterviewwithAlaindeBenoist"(PDF).Ia600300.us.archive.org.Retrieved20151022.
10.SpeakingTermsEurope'sLeftAndRightAreTooDividedToEvenTalkAboutIt,ChicagoTribune,13
December1993.
11.UndercoverstoryTheGuardian(London)14August1987.
12.MakinghatesafeagaininEurope:rightculturalrevolutionaries,TheNation,19September1994.
13.Intolerance,AmericanStyleGivenThisCountry'sHistoryOfReligiousAnimosities,ThomasFleming
WritesPittsburghPostGazette(Pennsylvania)21December1997
14.ParisshrugsoffMickeyMouse'sculturalimperialismTheIndependent(London)12February1991
15.deBenoist,Alain(1982).Orientaionspourdesanneesdecisives(perwebsiteed.).Labyrinthe.p.76.
Retrieved10March2016.
16.RoneTempest,"FrenchReviveaPastime:FrettingAboutU.S.'Imperialism':Reaction:Talkof'secret
agendas'surfacesontheleftandtheright.Somechafeattheircountry'ssecondaryroleintheGulf.Others
worryaboutdiminishedEuropeaninfluence,"(http://articles.latimes.com/print/19910215/news/mn
1225_1_secretagenda)LosAngelesTimes,15February1991.
17.FranceIdeasandbombsTheEconomist23August1980
18."THEEUROPEANNEWRIGHTFORTYYEARSLATER:TOMISLAVSUNICSAgainstDemocracyand
Equality"(PDF).Files.alaindebenoist.com.Retrieved20151022.
19.Benoist,Alainde(Summer2003)."DemocracyRevisited:TheAncientsandtheModerns"(PDF).The
OccidentalQuarterly3(2):4758.
20."AlaindeBenoistAnswersTamirBarOn"(PDF).Files.alaindebenoist.com.Retrieved20151022.
21.Thedisharmonicconvergence:thefarleftandthefarrightasstrangebedfellows,sWholeEarthReview22
June1988
22.Sheehan,Thomas(Spring1981)."MythandViolence:TheFascismofJuliusEvolaandAlaindeBenoist".
SocialResearch48(1):4573."Pages6667:Tosummarize:DeBenoist'sfascismisatoddswithEvola's
metaphysicsbutagreeswithhissocialandpoliticalphilosophy....[F]ordeBenoist,theorganicStateisan
idealthatmencansetforthemselvesandperhaps,withforce,establish."
23.Griffin,Roger(2000)."Betweenmetapoliticsandapoliteia:theNouvelleDroite'sstrategyforconservingthe
fascistvisioninthe'interregnum' ".Modern&ContemporaryFrance8(1):3553.
doi:10.1080/096394800113349.
24.Sunic,Tomislav(Winter1995)."Marx,Moses,andthePagansintheSecularCity".CLIO24(2):169188.
"IntheagethatisheavilylacedwiththeBiblicalmessage,manymodernpaganthinkers,fortheircriticismof
biblicalmonotheism,havebeenattackedandstigmatizedeitherasunrepentantatheistsorasspiritualstandard
bearersoffascism.ParticularlyNietzsche,Heidegger,andmorerecentlyAlaindeBenoistcameunderattack
forallegedlyespousingthephilosophywhich,fortheircontemporarydetractors,recalledtheearliernational
socialistattemptsto"dechristianize"and"repaganize"Germany.SeenotablytheworksbyAlfredRosenberg,Der
Mythusdes20.Jahrhunderts(Mnchen:HoheneichenVerlag,1933).AlsoworthnotingisthenameofWilhelmHauer,Deutscher
Gottschau(Stuttgart:KarlGutbrod,1934),whosignificantlypopularizedIndoEuropeanmythologyamongnationalsocialists:onpages
24054HauerdiscussesthedifferencebetweenJudeoChristianSemiticbeliefsandEuropeanpaganism."

Sources
Fascism,editedbyRogerGriffin(1995),pp.346348.
TheBeastReawakensbyMartinA.Lee(1997),pp.208213.
BiographicalDictionaryoftheExtremeRightSince1890(1990),editedbyPhilipRees,pp.29
30.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_de_Benoist 5/6
10/4/2016 AlaindeBenoistWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Furtherreading
RodrigoAgull,DisidenciaPerfecta:LaNuevaDerechaylabatalladelasideas(Barcelona&
Madrid:Altera,2011).
AndreBjin&JulienFreund(eds.),Racismes,Antiracismes(Paris:LibrairiedesMridiens,
1986).
JonathanMarcus,TheNationalFrontandFrenchPolitics,NewYork:NewYorkUniversityPress,
1995,pp.224,151.
MichaelO'Meara,NewCulture,NewRightAntiliberalismInPostmodernEurope(2004).ISBN
9781410764614
TomislavSunic,AgainstDemocracyandEquality:TheEuropeanNewRight(NewYork:Peter
Lang,1990).ISBN0820412945
TomislavSunic,HomoAmericanus:ChildofthePostmodernAge(USA:BookSurgePublishing,
2007).
TomislavSunic,PostmortemReport:CulturalExaminationsfromPostmodernityCollected
Essays(ShamleyGreen,UK:ThePaligenesisProject,2010).

Externallinks
Officialwebsite(http://www.alaindebenoist.com)
TheAlainDeBenoistCollection(http://www.alphalink.com.au/~radnat/debenoist/)
Archiveofarticles(scribd.com)(http://www.scribd.com/search?
l=1&page=1&query=alain+de+benoist)
AnEnglishlanguageinterviewwithAlaindeBenoistconductedbyAmericanRenaissance
(http://www.amren.com/features/2013/11/weareattheendofsomething/)
AlaindeBenoistspeakingonidentityatthe2013NationalPolicyInstituteconference
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HDoBJRt8WI)

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alain_de_Benoist&oldid=709496412"

Categories: 1943births Livingpeople PeoplefromTours Frenchpoliticalphilosophers

NewRight(Europe) Frenchpoliticalwriters Frenchessayists Frenchneopagans
20thcenturyFrenchphilosophers 21stcenturyphilosophers 21stcenturyFrenchwriters
Frenchmalewriters Maleessayists

Thispagewaslastmodifiedon11March2016,at07:44.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionalterms
mayapply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Wikipediaisa
registeredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_de_Benoist 6/6