Introduction
Welcome to the Traditionalist Conservatism Page!
This page presents a survey of materials on the Web related in some way to traditionalist conservatism. The survey is intended to be comprehensive, and so covers tendencies worldwide from the American Old Republic to the European New Right, from Catholic traditionalism to neo-Sufism, and on out to the anarchist and fascist fringes.
The purpose is not to propagandize or reform, but to raise issues, educate and provide resources for investigation, and so to provide relief from the sameness and superficiality of public discourse today. For that reason the page also includes materials (especially toward the end) that are not specifically traditionalist or conservative but raise issues that the liberal utopian rationalism now dominant finds hard to digest. I believe that raising such issues highlights the impossibility of a rationalized social order and the need for tradition and a transcendent reference point.
A traditionalist page that presents no orthodoxy might be thought paradoxical. However, truth is not purely traditional, although it is through tradition that we attain it. Especially in unsettled times, free discussion is necessary. Let me know if you have comments, visit my weblog, Turnabout, for current events and further commentary, and if you want to discuss the topics do join our discussion board, The Struggle Continues! If you want, you can start with a spoken introduction to the issues (requiring RealPlayer). I hope you find something that interests you!
Contents:
The Various aspects of the topic--political, cultural, moral and religious--are hard to separate, but I attempt to distinguish categories while remaining comprehensive:
- Political and Social Conservatism,
- High Culture,
- Religion, and
- "Counterrevolution and Beyond" , including
- Counterrevolution,
- Particularism,
- European New Right,
- Monarchism,
- Libertarianism,
- Biological Considerations,
- Farther Reaches, and
- Activism.
- Current events and commentary.
- My own publications generally take a point
of view consistent with traditionalist conservatism:
- "Understanding Conservatism and the Tradition" and the Conservatism FAQ deal with the general nature of tradition and conservatism, distinguishing them from other approaches to social organization.
- "Traditionalism and the American Order" deals with the interplay of liberalism and traditionalism in America. America has been based on explicit liberalism and implicit traditionalism. The balance has been lost, which means big problems.
- The liberal drive for dominance has resulted in a "culture war," discussed in Culture Wars--Discussion and Resources, that has affected even conceptions of rationality. On the latter, see my Science, Rationality and the Good.
- "The Tyranny of Liberalism", "PC and the Crisis of Liberalism" "Liberalism: Ideal and Reality", and Liberal Tolerance deal with the consequences of liberal victory in the culture wars, the establishment of a sort of soft totalitarianism in which universally valid procedures get turned into universal compulsory substantive standards of belief and conduct.
- Many of the disputes that make up the culture war have to do with sex. The health of tradition depends on local social coherence and continuity that under modern conditions requires strong family ties that loose sexual morals disrupt. For discussion, see the Sexual Morality FAQ, as well as the list of sources, links and further readings at the end of the FAQ.
- Other disputes have to do with the liberal demand for "inclusiveness." In essence, "inclusiveness" is a demand for the abolition of all principles of social order other than money and bureaucracy. Each of us is to become an interchangeable unit of production and consumption in a universal technically-rational system for the maximum equal satisfaction of preferences. For some of the ussues, see the Anti-Inclusiveness FAQ. The FAQ argues for the "right of free association" as understood by the libertarians--that is, for the repeal of equal opportunity legislation--largely on the grounds that such legislation disrupts the small-scale social order on which tradition depends. Again, there are links and suggestions for further reading at the end.
- If you don't like "inclusiveness," and think sex is more complicated than people let on, why not consider antifeminism? The collection of links on the subject may also be of interest.
- For further development of some of the same ideas, see my essays "Freedom, Discrimination and Culture", on the evil consequences of antidiscrimination legislation; "Vindicating Stereotypes and Discrimination", on the beneficial functions those things serve; and "Anti-racism", an analysis of the nature and origins of what is today treated as the supreme moral principle.
- What sort of society will these conditions lead to? For some speculations, see my essays on "The Amish, David Koresh, and a Newer World Order" and on the 14th century Tunisian Ibn Khaldun (a great political thinker, and the theoretician of radically multicultural posthistorical society). For something a bit more immediate, an attempt to devise a system of international law and human rights consistent with particularism, see my pages on Human Rights: Critique and Reform. My page on the establishment of religion may provide some additional useful background.
- For tradition-based thought at its best, see the works of Confucius included in Chinese Culture: Texts and Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France. If interested you may also read my essay on "Confucius Today."
- For a review-essay on Russell Kirk, who quoted Edmund Burke a lot and is commonly considered the founder of modern traditionalist conservatism in America, click Tenfold Wisdom.
- The Michael Oakeshott Association presents the thought of an Englishman whom many consider the most important conservative thinker since Burke.
- And for 19th century English opposition to revolutionary ideals, from Virginia Woolf's uncle, see Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, by James Fitzjames Stephen.
- Conservatism typically believes that our access to the universal is through the particular, in opposition to ideologues who want to take the universal straight and relativists who believe only in contingent particulars. For a discussion of how to find the absolute in the personal and the historical, see Grammar of Assent and Development of Doctrine by John Henry Newman, another 19th century Englishman.
- For a more radical appeal to tradition and authority, consider Joseph de Maistre.
- And see Richard Weaver's Ideas Have Consequences for more on the relation between the universal and the particular and its relevance to conservative concerns.
- For where the tendencies Weaver discusses have landed us, see Eugene (Fr. Seraphim) Rose's Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age .
- A twentieth century Brazilian work, in somewhat the same tradition: Revolution and Counterrevolution, by Plinio Corrˆa de Oliveira.
- Tocqueville's Democracy in America isn't specifically traditionalist but is necessary background for understanding American tradition and anti-traditionalism.
- Orestes A. Brownson, The American Republic. How can it be set within a classical and Christian conception of order?
- The Center for Constitutional Studies. More on the American political tradition.
- And a discussion of where the actual political tradition of the west stands now: "A World Split Apart," 1978 Commencement Address at Harvard by A. I. Solzhenitsyn.
- Peter Kreeft on "Darkness at Noon": The Eclipse of "The Permanent Things". What the modern world looks like from the standpoint of tradition.
- "Revolutionary conservative"--what's that? A discussion of the current status of principled conservatism.
- For a discussion of the relation between conservatism and conformity, see Peter Viereck's "The Unadjusted Man."
- Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Conservative Order. Selections chosen for undergraduate readings.
- A list of conservative books recommended by Russell Kirk.
- The alt.society.conservatism Booklist is a compilation of suggestions from a.s.c. participants.
- A rather quirky introduction to Tage Lindbom, a Swedish traditionalist thinker and former leading Social Democrat.
- Olavo de Carvalho - Sapientiam Autem Non Vincit Malitia. The Brazilian philosopher, mostly in Portuguese, but some material is in English and more is coming.
- Chronicles--A Magazine of American Culture. The leading paleoconservative publication. Their website is continuously updated with news and commentary that don't make it into the printed publication.
- The Canadian Conservative Forum. Some intelligent articles generally tending somewhat to the moderate and mainstream.
- Conservative Central provides intelligent conservative thought and commentary from Down Under.
- Various Rants I've picked up on the net.
- Now is not the first time issues of cultural decline have seemed troubling.
Traditionalist conservatives usually think of politics as an aspect of culture, and so recognize the mutual relevance of the two. So here are things relating more particularly to literary and philosophical culture:
- National Humanities Institute. Something for all you Irving Babbitt fans.
- Writings of Paul Elmer More, like Babbitt a "New Humanist" critic.
- G. K. Chesterton Page, with links to etexts of many of his works.
- The Google directory on Hilaire Belloc, the other half of Chesterbelloc. Also see Hilaire Belloc's Survivals and New Arrivals, a general account of past, present and future threats to Catholic Christianity.
- Samuel Johnson page.
- Russell Kirk--The Politics of T.S. Eliot--2/9/1989, an address, one of Kirk's Heritage Lectures.
- Praesidium, The quarterly journal of the Center for Literate Values.
- Animus. Philosophizing about the traditions of the West.
- Can Leo Strauss and the Old Republic find happiness together? See Clifford A. Bates, Jr.'s Web Site.
While some have argued that non-religious conservatism is possible, most traditionalist conservatives think of politics and culture as necessarily connected to religion. Certainly it is hard to think of conservatives, other than a few skeptical and comfortably-situated intellectuals, who decisively reject the existence of some power for good transcending mankind. So here are resources relating to traditional religious orthodoxy of one sort or another, some with a political slant:
Roman Catholic:
- New Advent Catholic Resources. Includes the Summa Theologica, the Catholic Encyclopedia, translations of the Church Fathers, and much more.
- EWTN Global Catholic Network. Mother Angelica's site. Includes library of thousands of documents and articles relevant to orthodox Catholicism.
- Biblical Evidence for Catholicism. A very extensive collection of links--goes far beyond the name.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- J.H.Newman Page.
- Una Voce: the main society devoted to the promotion and support of the traditional Latin Mass within the Church.
- E. Michael Jones' Culture Wars magazine. Particularly worth reading is their recent feature article Conservatism in Extremis at Hillsdale College.
- New Oxford Review. You've seen the ads, now look at the magazine.
- First Things magazine. Some might call them mere neocons, but today any gesture at all toward orthodoxy puts you altogether off the bus. See below for "theocracy" flap.
- CRISIS Magazine. Tries to combine orthodoxy and mainstream intellectual respectability.
- More online Catholic Periodicals.
- James V. Schall, S.J--Another Sort of Learning. Philosophy and humane learning generally as well as Catholicism.
- Tradition In Action. Defending the perennial Magisterium and Catholic traditions, and working for a restoration of Christian civilization.
- The Remnant Resistance.
- Essays for Traditional Catholics. A collection of links to essays by a variety of writers.
- The Charles de Nunzio Review (Home Page). More Catholic traditionalist commentary.
- Wandea--pro Fide, Rege, et Lege. A Polish sedevacantist site with many writings in English, including some by Rev. Rama Coomaraswamy.
- The Roman Liturgy. Some interesting discussions on a site maintained by a priest not in communion with Rome.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913): Traditionalism--an account and critical assessment.
Traditionalism seems more clearly constitutive of Eastern Orthodoxy than other branches of Christianity.
- Orthodox WorldLinks.
- The Orthodox Christian Foundation.
- The Orthodox Christian Information Center. Includes materials of interest to Protestants and Anglicans considering making the move to Orthodoxy.
- The Fundamental Difference Between the "East" and "West". Orthodoxy and the West: how do they differ?
- Comments on Anglicanism and Eastern Orthodoxy, in support of the latter.
The church of T.S. Eliot, C.S. Lewis and Dorothy Sayers seems rather a mess, but some struggle on:
- Classical Anglican Net News.
- Forward in Faith North America Home Page. The successor to the Episcopal Synod of America.
- Anglocatholic Central Home Page.
- The Prayer Book Society of the Episcopal Church (US).
- The Prayer Book Society of Canada Home Page. Many essays and articles.
- Project Canterbury--Classical Anglican and Anglo-Catholic Texts.
- Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry Home Page. Includes essays, articles and publications.
- Episcopalians United.
- The Church's Crisis of Identity, by Stephen M. Smith.
- The Anglican Communion, a discussion of the relationship of Anglicanism to the universal church.
- All Hallows Hall, a dramatization of ideal traditionalist Anglicanism.
- "Continuing" and similar Anglican Churches.
Protestantism often has an uneasy relation to traditionalism. Nonetheless, it is not monolithic and one should distinguish cases:
- Contra Mundum, a journal of religion and society from a conservative Reform perspective. The site also has hundreds of other files, including lists of publications and organizations, back issues of a defunct magazine called Antithesis with a lot of Reconstructionist and Libertarian associations, and the essays of Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher.
- Center for the Advancement of Paleo-Orthodoxy. Another conservative Reform group. Among other things, they put up on the web some classic literature such as Groen Van Prinsterer's Lectures on Unbelief and Revolution (abridged translation).
- Ruben Alvarado's Christian Cultural Studies Page. Essays and drafts of books by Ruben Alvarado, written from a conservative Reformed perspective.
- Christianity & Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen. An online book contrasting modernism and supernaturalism.
- Concerned Methodists Homepage.
- Varieties of Orthodox Judaism.
- FAQ on Hasidism (Chassidism).
- An Internet Guide to Chabad Literature.
- Lubavitcher Page.
- Likutey Eitzot/Advice.
- The Institute for American Values. Jews and Christians (mostly Jews) together.
- Reflections on Islam and Modern Life by Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
- Naqshbandi Sufi Order. On sufism.
- Al-Islam Subject Index. A very extensive collection of materials.
- The Ahl as-Sunnah Homepage. For the restoration of classical Islam.
- as-Sunnah Foundation. An American group that has assembled scholars and professors to teach, write, and translate from traditional sources of Islamic knowledge.
- Al-Tawhid journal. A quarterly journal of Islamic thought and culture from Iran.
- General Principles of Imam Khumayni's Political Thought; also Islamic Government by Imam Khomeini.
- Our Questions and Answers on the Establishment of Religion consider some of the issues.
- The symposium on the end of democracy in the November, 1996 issue of First Things is thought to raise the spectre of theocracy and led to the resignation of Gertrude Himmelfarb, Peter Berger and Walter Berns from their editorial board. Seems mild as such things go.
- Christianity in Nineteenth Century American Law and Christianity, Our Early State Constitutions, and American Federalism, two discussions of the place of Christianity in the American polity as originally understood.
- Common Law Review. Original understandings writ large: the common law tradition as pan-European and specifically Christian.
- David L. Schindler on "Religious Freedom, Truth, and American Liberalism: Another Look at John Courtney Murray", Francis Canavan, S.J., on Religious Freedom, John Courtney Murray and Vatican II and Charles de Nunzio on Tall Tales of the American "Right". Roman Catholics somewhat sceptical to violently opposed to current American understandings of religious freedom.
- Tolerance: Two Kinds is a review of The Long Truce: How Toleration Made the World Safe for Power and Profit, by A. J. Conyers (2001). The tyranny of tolerance is older than you think!
- Theologian Jaques Ellul on government and anarchy.
- The Kuyper Foundation--Home Page.
- Google Web Directory on Church-State Relations and Anti-Separation.
- Cristianità. The web page of the Alleanza Cattolica (in Italian).
- Per una politica dei valori.
- In difesa della verità storica.
- The Bankruptcy of Conservatism. A critique from a religious perspective.
The following are resources that are out of the mainstream and in some way relevant to the concerns of traditionalist conservatives. I have sorted them into categories, but not without arbitrariness. You should note that since these listings are more in the nature of a bibliography than a statement of position, I do not stand behind what each of these pages says.
Counterrevolutionary and general
- The alt.revolution.counter Resource Lists compile a very great variety of materials on various strands of right-wing thought from the alt.revolution.counter newsgroup. Also see the alt.revolution.counter FAQ, which set forth the nature, origin, and goals of the newsgroup.
- FrontPage Magazine. David Horowitz's publication, which includes useful materials about PC.
- "Vilfredo Pareto--An Overview" by Fr. James Thornton.
- New York Eagle Forum (with links to national and affiliated organizations).
- Council of Conservative Citizens.
- Buchanan Brigade Home Page. Includes an accumulations of materials.
- The New Totalitarians -- a page put together by some former military officers who provide their own take on trends in American life.
- Original Dissent Forum. "Traditional Conservatism for and from the Common Man." They have a page of links submitted by readers, many of which are worth a look.
- The Texas Mercury. An online weekly review devoted to "Liberté, Aristocratie et Agnosticisme." Not counterrevolutionary, really, but at least they're willing to get off the bus.
- Homelands (successionist movement) page.
- Google Web Directory--Secession Links.
- Donald W. Livingston's essay on Secession and the Modern State.
- Jihad Vs. McWorld, an interesting analysis from a basically left/liberal perspective of the opposing tendencies today toward particularism and abstract economic universalism. For more Establishment gloom and doom from the Atlantic Monthly, see The Coming Anarchy , "Was Democracy Just a Moment?", and "Must It Be the Rest Against the West?".
- New World Order Rising? Thoughts on the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development. A good introduction to the movement that opposes particularism most radically.
- Nation Planet by Paul Treanor. Includes nationalism links
- Autonomy, Secession, Independence and Nationalism discussions and links.
- Home Rule Worldwide.
- CW2 Home Page. A page to promote a book on the coming second American civil war. Excerpts from the book and lots of links to related essays, articles and other materials. I have my own review of the book.
- Dixie Net: The Southern League Web Site.
- Home Rule For Dixie. "Home Rule in our generation, independence in the next!" Includes FAQs, positions, reading room, press releases and links.
- Southern Party Home Page. Should the South have its own political party?
- American Patrol Illegal Immigration. Opponents of immigration.
- Discussions of Immigration from the Atlantic Monthly.
- VDARE Home. An online journal named for Virginia Dare (the first English child born in America) devoted to ethnic American nationalism.
- Paul Fromm's Canada First Immigration Reform Committee.
- Antiwar.com and Americans Against Bombing, right-wing opponents of American imperialism.
- British National Party Home Page. "Fighting Anti-White Racism." Lots of articles.
- Front National and Freiheitlichen Partei Oesterreichs, anti-immigration and nationalistic European political parties.
- New Democracy, an English site favoring repatriation of third-world immigrants and aid for the economic development of their homelands.
- Australian Nationalism Information Database. Rebellion Down Under.
- Australian Nationalist Ideological, Historical, and Legal Archive. More rebellion. Includes scholarly discussion relating to the nationalist Australian Right.
- List of groups who don't like British participation in the European Union.
- Keele Critical European Group, also critical of the EU.
- "What is the EU?". Written by an American (the editor of this page) but about Europe.
- Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes sur la Civilisation Européenne (G.R.E.C.E.). The leading organization of the European New Right.
- The Scorpion, the leading publication in English associated with the European New Right.
- Les Amis d'Alain de Benoist. Includes many of his writings, some in English.
- Junge Freiheit. More in German, in this case a weekly magazine.
- Salt. And in Swedish.
- EuroKnowledge. "Culture and politics for people of European descent." Essays, links and an e-zine.
- The Essence of Archaism, by Guillaume Faye, one of the principle organizers of the European New Right.
- Arctogaia. The thought of Alexander Dugin, mostly.
- Conservative Revolution. Maintained by a Russian apparently associated with Dugin.
- Eurasian Movement. An alliance of Europe and Asia (identified with tradition) against America (identified with modernism and the NWO).
- Archivio Eurasia. Eurasia archive.
- Dansk Forum. Mostly in Danish, but they have bibliographies and online texts in several languages including English and German that may be of interest.
- Campo Hobbit. A variety of European links, mostly not in English.
- Traditionalists on the Web. A comprehensive treatment by a scholar at the American University in Cairo.
- Kshatriya gegen die moderne Welt. Materials on tradition, philosophy and counterrevolution, including a great deal of material on Julius Evola in several languages including English.
- Integral traditionalism bibliography (from a currently inactive discussion group on the topic.
- Tradition. English-Language Traditionalist Material on the Internet.
- The Divine Conception and the Crisis of the Modern World.
- REACTIO - Tradition and Metaphysics. Lots of links.
- Centro Studi La Runa. Italian traditionalists. Some things in English.
- "What is Distributism?" by David M. Deane.
- What is distributism? by Thomas Storck.
- A Distributivism Page.
- Distributism; Ownership of the Means of Production and Economics. Yet more.
- The Open Directory section on distributism.
- The Caelum Et Terra Homepage. Catholics sympathetic to distributism and agrarianism.
- ]A Distributism How To: A Parallel Economy, by Dr. Peter Chojnowski.
- Monarchy.net. A site hosting the home pages of the International Monarchist League and the Constitutional Monarchy Association. Includes a directory of hundreds of monarchist groups.
- Theodore's Royalty & Monarchy Page. Links, news and whatnot, frequently updated.
- Catholique et Royaliste. French monarchists, these inspired by Charles Maurras.
- Der Eiserne Ring - Sammelbewegung österreichischer Monarchisten. Austrians.
- Organizacja MonarchistÓw Polskich. Polish monarchists.
- Charles Coulombe on Catholic traditionalism and monarchy. Includes monarchist links and FAQ.
- CRCLinks - Catholic, royal and communitarian.
Many, especially in Europe, believe libertarianism wholly at odds with conservatism and traditionalism. However, at least in America there is considerable overlap because the American state tends strongly toward secular universalism and because the enormous expansion of the state has tended to crowd out all other authorities.
- Freedom, Tradition, Conservatism, by Frank S. Meyer. An explaination of his famous "fusionism," combining traditionalist conservatism and libertarianism.
- Free-Market.Net, billed as "The Most Comprehensive Source for Information on Liberty, Laissez-Faire Economics, Free Enterprise, Capitalism, Libertarianism and Individual Freedom."
- The Freeman Index has a number of articles from The Freeman, published by the The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE).
- LewRockwell.com, Lew Rockwell's page, with lots of links and its own content as well. Stands for paleolibertarianism, a tendency that attempts to bridge the gaps among libertarianism, traditionalism, particularism, and Southern thought.
- The Last Ditch, a newsletter on issues of Liberty and Civility. Another paleolibertarian publication.
- Constitution Society Home Page.
- Separation of School & State Alliance web site.
- The Kossor Education Newsletter.
- The State (1985), by Anthony de Jasay. Complete text. What would you do if you were the state?
- Papers by John Lott, a legal scholar now at Yale Law School. Cover a variety of topics, including gun control and consequences of abortion, from a perspective generally consistent with libertarianism.
- "A Nation of Cowards." An article on gun control from The Public Interest.
- David Friedman on Medieval Iceland, libertarian paradise. For more, see my essay on "The Icelandic Sagas and Social Order," which discusses Medieval Iceland from a less market-based perspective, and the Guide to Classical Liberal Scholarship, Polycentric Law.
- The Swiss Example.
- Bryan Caplan's Anarchist Theory FAQ. Very well done. Also, see his homepage, which includes his "Museum of Communism" and his useful "Museum of Communism FAQ."
- FAME--Foundation for the Advancement of Monetary Education. Sound money restricts state power.
- For help fighting the modern managerial state, it's worth looking at libertarian booklists like this and this.
- Also see the Liberty Library.
- See the Access Research Network Home Page for an introduction to current attacks on neodarwinism and scientific materialism.
- Or if you do like Darwin, see Stalking the Wild Taboo--Home Page for materials on issues people like to avoid, like group differences. Pinc (for "politically incorrect") continues some of the same themes. Both have somewhat of an academic orientation.
- For considerations related to eugenics, see Future Generations (useful for discussions of the biological aspects of human life and attempts to suppress such discussions).
- And for a very different take on the biological aspects of human life, see the Pro-Life Encyclopedia.
- The Hate Directory, The Radical Religious Right, and Reading list on U.S. political Right, all collections of materials and links compiled by non-fans.
- Montana Militia and more on militias and other "patriot movement" groups (assembled by an anti-militia group).
- Bibliography of fascism.
- Thule-Fuehrer. European right-wingers.
- Tradition - Revolution. A webring of national bolshevist and related sites, many of them in Russian.
- The Jewish Defense League. More an ethnic nationalist than a religious organization, it seems.
- Nation of Islam Online and The Nation of Islam: (Black Nationalism and Repatriation).
- Unabomber's Manifesto.
- If you want to tell the world about what you find or your own thoughts, go to Welcome to GeoCities Home Page and set up a web site of your own. If you're willing to get into the technical aspects you might try SDF Public Access Unix instead -- the best deal on the net.
- If you want to call the Evil Hegemons personally to account, why not send your rants to the national and local media? For evidence of their overbearing mendacity, see Liberal Media Bias.
My weblog Turnabout comments on the events of
the day.
You may view the master archive or read the most recent entries:
Prepared by Jim Kalb, kalb@aya.yale.edu
Last edited 5/9/03
