Ideology
ReactionaryRight
Rejects modern social and political change and longs to restore an earlier order, often one based on hierarchy, tradition, religion, and established authority, viewing progressive reforms as damaging to society's stability.
Core ideas
- Reject modern social and political change and want an earlier order restored.
- Value hierarchy, tradition, religion and established authority.
- Regard progressive reforms as damaging to society's stability.
- Differ from conservatives, who seek to preserve the order that exists now.
- Often look to a monarchy or an established church as the model.
Where it sits on the 12 axes
The economy axis (Collectivize to Privatize) is 40, a little toward Privatize. The government axis (Security to Freedom) is 60, leaning toward Security. Diplomacy (Internationalism to Nationalism) is 40, slightly toward Nationalism. Society (Progressive to Traditional) is 10, very close to the Traditional end, which is what sets this ideology apart. The match is whichever ideology has the nearest four values by straight distance on those axes alone.
The bar shows the position on each of the four axes an ideology is matched on; the middle mark is the centre.
History
A reactionary favours a return to a previous state of society that they believe had qualities now missing. The term comes from the left-right spectrum of the French Revolution. After the Revolution, conservative forces, especially in the Catholic Church, organized against its changes and fought to restore the temporal authority of Church and Crown. Supporters of the House of Bourbon were called legitimists. After the second fall of Napoleon, the ultra-royalists elected to the Chambre introuvable pressed to revert laws toward the period before the absolute monarchy of Louis XIV. Clerical philosophers such as Joseph de Maistre and Louis de Bonald urged restoring the Bourbons and the Catholic Church. In the 20th century reactionary politics was linked with discipline, hierarchy and respect for authority.
Associated thinkers
- Joseph de Maistre
- Louis de Bonald
- Nicolas Gomez Davila
Common misunderstandings
- The word is often used as a plain insult or as a synonym for conservative. In its original sense it means wanting to restore an earlier order, while conservatives seek to preserve the one that exists.
- It is not the same as fascism. The 'Doctrine of Fascism' called fascism 'not reactionary but revolutionary' and said 'history doesn't travel backwards'.
Related ideologies
Is Reactionary your closest ideology?
Take the test and see which of the ideologies your answers sit closest to.
Questions
What is a Reactionary?
Someone who favours restoring an earlier state of society they believe had positive qualities that today's lacks. As an ideology it is a right-wing tradition that opposes social transformation, typically stressing hierarchy, tradition, religion and established authority.
Is Reactionary left or right?
Right. The word comes from the left-right spectrum and the stance is a tradition in right-wing politics. On the four axes it is far toward Traditional, leans Security and Nationalism, and sits slightly Privatize on economy.
Reactionary vs conservative?
A conservative seeks to preserve the socio-economic order that exists in the present. A reactionary wants to restore one that has been lost. A conservative can turn reactionary by prioritizing older traditions over recently accepted ones. Some writers have worn the label as a badge, though it is often used as a slur.
How does the 12 Axes test decide I am Reactionary?
Your economy, government, diplomacy and society scores are compared with the four values stored for each of the 38 ideologies. The smallest straight-line distance wins. Only those four axes count.