The philosophy of today’s far right: nick land, neoreactionary theorist of the dark enlightenment and prophet of accelerationism

Abstract

This article examines the intellectual trajectory of Nick Land, from his early philosophical work in the 1990s and his leading role in the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit (CCRU) to the development of his accelerationist ideas and subsequent formulation of the political concepts associated with the Dark Enlightenment. It critically analyzes the Dark Enlightenment as a neo-reactionary political philosophy, considering neo-reaction both as a political movement and as a body of political thought. Particular attention is given to the concept of the “Cathedral” and to neo-reactionary critiques of liberal democracy and the rule of law. The article argues that these critiques should be understood within the broader context of the contemporary crisis of democracy and the emergence of new forms of far-right political thought.