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View from the Right, Volume I: Heritage and Foundations
A Critical Anthology of Contemporary Ideas
View from the Right was originally published in French in 1977, at the time that Alain de Benoist’s GRECE think tank was at the height of its influence. The book consists of a series of essays and profiles of various thinkers and figures who Benoist considers to embody the defining elements of the various strands of Right-wing thought. It immediately took the French political and intellectual worlds by storm, and in 1978 it was awarded the Grand Prize by the prestigious and historic French Academy.
It continues to be regarded as one of the most important modern French works on political philosophy, and as being the fundamental statement of the principles of the New Right during its early years.
This first volume in a three-volume translation by Arktos is an encyclopedic history of ideas that addresses the philosophical, spiritual, scientific, and cultural-historical foundations of the European heritage.
View from the Right was originally published in French in 1977, at the time that Alain de Benoist’s GRECE think tank was at the height of its influence. The book consists of a series of essays and profiles of various thinkers and figures who Benoist considers to embody the defining elements of the various strands of Right-wing thought. It immediately took the French political and intellectual worlds by storm, and in 1978 it was awarded the Grand Prize by the prestigious and historic French Academy.
It continues to be regarded as one of the most important modern French works on political philosophy, and as being the fundamental statement of the principles of the New Right during its early years.
This first volume in a three-volume translation by Arktos is an encyclopedic history of ideas that addresses the philosophical, spiritual, scientific, and cultural-historical foundations of the European heritage.
- GenresPolitics
997 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1977
18 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Alain de Benoist
199 books185 followers Depuis plus de trente ans, Alain de Benoist poursuit méthodiquement un travail d'analyse et de réflexion dans le domaine des idées. Ecrivain, journaliste, essayiste, conférencier, philosophe, il a publié plus de 50 livres et plus de 3000 articles, aujourd'hui traduits dans une quinzaine de langues différentes.
Ses domaines de prédilection sont la philosophie politique et l'histoire des idées, mais il est aussi l'auteur de nombreux travaux portant notamment sur l'archéologie, les traditions populaires, l'histoire des religions ou les sciences de la vie.
Indifférent aux modes idéologiques, récusant toute forme d'intolérance et d'extrémisme, Alain de Benoist ne cultive pas non plus une quelconque nostalgie «restaurationniste». Lorsqu'il critique la modernité, ce n'est pas au nom d'un passé idéalisé, mais en se préoccupant avant tout des problématiques postmodernes. Les axes principaux de sa pensée sont au nombre de quatre : 1) la critique conjointe de l'individuo-universalisme et du nationalisme (ou de l'ethnocentrisme) en tant que catégories relevant l'une et l'autre de la métaphysique de la subjectivité ; 2) la déconstruction systématique de la raison marchande, de l'axiomatique de l'intérêt et des multiples emprises de la Forme-Capital, dont le déploiement planétaire constitue à ses yeux la menace principale qui pèse aujourd'hui sur le monde ; 3) la lutte en faveur des autonomies locales, liée à la défense des différences et des identités collectives ; 4) une nette prise de position en faveur d'un fédéralisme intégral, fondé sur le principe de subsidiarité et la généralisation à partir de la base des pratiques de la démocratie participative.
Alors que son oeuvre est connue et reconnue dans un nombre grandissant de pays, Alain de Benoist reste largement ostracisé en France, où l'on se borne trop souvent à associer son nom à celui de la « Nouvelle Droite », expression dans laquelle il ne s'est jamais véritablement reconnu.
Biography in English at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_d...
Ses domaines de prédilection sont la philosophie politique et l'histoire des idées, mais il est aussi l'auteur de nombreux travaux portant notamment sur l'archéologie, les traditions populaires, l'histoire des religions ou les sciences de la vie.
Indifférent aux modes idéologiques, récusant toute forme d'intolérance et d'extrémisme, Alain de Benoist ne cultive pas non plus une quelconque nostalgie «restaurationniste». Lorsqu'il critique la modernité, ce n'est pas au nom d'un passé idéalisé, mais en se préoccupant avant tout des problématiques postmodernes. Les axes principaux de sa pensée sont au nombre de quatre : 1) la critique conjointe de l'individuo-universalisme et du nationalisme (ou de l'ethnocentrisme) en tant que catégories relevant l'une et l'autre de la métaphysique de la subjectivité ; 2) la déconstruction systématique de la raison marchande, de l'axiomatique de l'intérêt et des multiples emprises de la Forme-Capital, dont le déploiement planétaire constitue à ses yeux la menace principale qui pèse aujourd'hui sur le monde ; 3) la lutte en faveur des autonomies locales, liée à la défense des différences et des identités collectives ; 4) une nette prise de position en faveur d'un fédéralisme intégral, fondé sur le principe de subsidiarité et la généralisation à partir de la base des pratiques de la démocratie participative.
Alors que son oeuvre est connue et reconnue dans un nombre grandissant de pays, Alain de Benoist reste largement ostracisé en France, où l'on se borne trop souvent à associer son nom à celui de la « Nouvelle Droite », expression dans laquelle il ne s'est jamais véritablement reconnu.
Biography in English at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_d...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 10, 2018
Although at times it feels a bit disjointed (being essentially a collection of many short articles), this work is extremely interesting and probably Alain de Benoist's most accessible book in English.
View From the Right, Vol. 1 is not exactly a political manifesto. In fact, it can hardly be described as a political work in the conventional sense of the term. Many of the most compelling sections consist of explorations into scientific research illustrating subtly profound philosophical concepts rooted in Right wing axioms. De Benoist shows how examining a wide variety of phenomena from the Right can lead to exciting and suggestive insights.
Subjects covered include pedagogy, psychology, biology, ethology, physics, and cosmology, as well as philosophy and history.
De Benoist's vast multidisciplinary literacy is, as always, impressive. I found the style of this book to be more lively and direct than in his later works. The influence of Nietzsche is apparent throughout.
Also of interest is the 2001 preface, which includes perhaps the most rigorous and nuanced attack on egalitarianism I've encountered.
For those who've sensed that (to quote Jonathan Bowden), "Right-wing ideas aren’t just a bit of flag-waving and baiting a few Muslims," this book is a thought provoking introduction to the wide-ranging implications of these ideas.
View From the Right, Vol. 1 is not exactly a political manifesto. In fact, it can hardly be described as a political work in the conventional sense of the term. Many of the most compelling sections consist of explorations into scientific research illustrating subtly profound philosophical concepts rooted in Right wing axioms. De Benoist shows how examining a wide variety of phenomena from the Right can lead to exciting and suggestive insights.
Subjects covered include pedagogy, psychology, biology, ethology, physics, and cosmology, as well as philosophy and history.
De Benoist's vast multidisciplinary literacy is, as always, impressive. I found the style of this book to be more lively and direct than in his later works. The influence of Nietzsche is apparent throughout.
Also of interest is the 2001 preface, which includes perhaps the most rigorous and nuanced attack on egalitarianism I've encountered.
For those who've sensed that (to quote Jonathan Bowden), "Right-wing ideas aren’t just a bit of flag-waving and baiting a few Muslims," this book is a thought provoking introduction to the wide-ranging implications of these ideas.
August 22, 2025
Aside from interpreting behaviorism as a misguided softness and beating the dead horse of IQ (and the transition from pseudoarchaeology to pseudopsychology was abrupt) it was a fairly rational expression of the Right’s general position. And may I add the delicious irony of explicitly stating a synthesis I once made off multiple sources but some MAGA type turned it into some type of “well then what books should I read, stop playing with me”- but basically that it’s an authoritarian right belief that I’m retarded for my patience wavering. But to be fair DeBenoist gets me perfectly in the sense of my IQ being 120ish and won’t stop reading.
January 12, 2020
The book obviously marked by being written in the 70's, which is one of its weaknesses. The first 160 pages were really brilliant, but when going into the field of materialistic science it lost its spark. I am looking forward reading the sequels.
October 18, 2020
Amazing collection of articles about a variety of topics and ideas from the realm of social science, natural science and the humanities. The chapters about ethiology and psychology were some of the most interesting texts I have read in recent times.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews