Introduction: Does Egalitarianism Always Lead to Tyranny?
Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn viewed leftism as a consistent dynamic that inevitably leads from slogans of equality toward totalitarian uniformity. This article analyzes the evolution of leftist ideas—from 19th-century utopias to contemporary identity movements—and explores the tensions between democracy, liberalism, and relativism. You will learn how these mechanisms shape modern politics, why the welfare state does not always destroy freedom, and whether the conceptual framework of this Austrian thinker helps us understand today’s right-wing populism.
Currents of Leftism: From Socialism to Intersectionality
The history of the left is a mosaic of currents with differing strategies. Utopian socialism (Fourier, Owen) was a project of the imagination, striving for harmonious communities. Marxism made a pivot, turning utopia into a "scientific" theory of history and a secular religion with its own eschatology. An exception to the rule of totalization was Scandinavian social democracy, which, through reformism and redistribution, expanded the space for freedom instead of stifling it.
The New Left of the 1960s moved the struggle into the cultural sphere, questioning patriarchy and imperialism. Michel Foucault pointed out that power permeates language and the body, a concept further developed by modern identity-based leftism. Intersectionality—the analysis of overlapping forms of discrimination (race, gender, class)—became a key concept. For critics, it is a path to symbolic uniformity; for supporters, it is a necessary effort toward the pluralization of society.
Democracy as a Threat to Liberal Freedoms
A fundamental tension exists within political thought: democracy strives to realize the "general will," while classical liberalism (Locke, Tocqueville) defends individual autonomy against the state. Kuehnelt-Leddihn warned that without liberal checks and balances, democracy becomes a numerical absolute. A tragic example is the Weimar Republic, where democratic procedures brought Hitler to power, exposing the fragility of systems based solely on the will of the majority.
In this context, relativism appears as a spiritual ally of totalitarianism. When objective truth disappears, it is replaced by the arbitrary decision of the majority, which disarms minorities. However, these systems satisfy deep human needs: democracy provides a sense of agency, liberalism protects autonomy, and relativism mitigates conflict. The problem arises when one of these elements is isolated and made absolute.
Modern Faces of Statism and Populism
Kuehnelt-Leddihn’s analytical framework allows us to describe today’s right-wing populism (e.g., Orbán, Trump). Although they appeal to tradition, these movements employ "leftist" mechanisms: national egalitarianism, ethnic identitarianism, and strong statism. In the digital age, this statism gains new tools—algorithmic surveillance and social credit systems—creating a form of technocratic oversight.
Mass politics is dominated by "nostrism"—the process of the individual "I" being absorbed by the collective "we," which fuels mechanisms of exclusion. It is worth noting civilizational differences: while the West strives for the systematic elimination of hierarchy, Confucian culture defines equality as harmony within a structure. Ultimately, the liberal-democratic system proves to be a constant art of balancing conflicting values.
Summary
In the pursuit of a society free from inequality, are we creating new forms of oppression? An analysis of Kuehnelt-Leddihn’s thought shows that the mechanisms of totalization are trans-ideological—they can take on both red and nationalist colors. It depends on our vigilance whether the constant tension between equality and freedom remains the foundation of pluralism or erodes under the pressure of new dogmas. The key to saving freedom is understanding that no single voice can become absolute, and utopian dreams require constant verification by reality.
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