Abu Hatem أبو حاتم

Eric Voegelin (d. 1901-85) was a major figure in the history of American conservative intellectualism. While not himself a classical conservative, Voegelin discussed the main theme of classical conservativism which was totalitarian movements and the revolutionary mentality.

Classical conservatives have always noted that the revolutionary mentality has never brought anything except evil. The intentions of revolutionaries to improve society are almost never realized. The French revolution brought Robespierre and Jacobin tyranny followed by the political instability of five French republics and two empires. The Russian revolution brought about the communist Lenin and the worst tyrant in the history of the world in Stalin. There are other countless examples - those who have attempted to establish revolutionary change such as Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Mussolini’s fascist Italy, and others have generally caused great distress.

The opposition to revolution is the bedrock of classical conservatism, nothing more and nothing less. Unlike other political persuasions, conservatism is not an ideology aiming to establish any type of perfect society. Conservatives are marked by their opposition to revolutionary change in favor of gradual and organic evolutionary change shaped by the mechanism of tradition.

Voegelin discussed the origin of totalitarian movements and the origin of such pathological ideologies as had been evident during the second world war. In his studies of totalitarianism, Voegelin found the problems of ideology as spiritually rooted in nature and that the pathologies of modern ideologues and revolutionaries beared great similarities to the Christian heresy of gnosticism. Voegelin’s analysis cannot only be applied to other countries and past and present movements, but also to the modern idea and modern mindset itself. Indeed, many have seen the neoconservative fervent urge at spreading democracy and free markets throughout the world as exactly the type of gnosticism which Voegelin referred to.

A note on Voegelin: Voegelin taught the current Pope Benedict amongst others. However, Voegelin made one major error which the conservative movement has universally condemned him for: he believed that it was impossible for man to know the truth about God (he said each society constructs its own order to make meaning, this is relativist type thinking which was universally rejected!).

Voegelin’s analysis of the gnostic is that the gnostic mentality went through many stages. Because God has created this worldly existence imperfect, and has challenged the believer with upholding the tests of faith, man experiences what Christian theologians such as Blaise Pascal amongst other Western thinkers called “the tensions of existence.” The tensions of existence were a central theme of Voegelin’s. Muslims do not truly have the same concept of the “tensions of existence,” to my knowledge, yet there is a similar concept the hardship of the believer’s living in this world, as the Prophet Muhammad said “this world is the prison of the believer.”

The tensions of existence are described as the hardships of man at enduring in the imperfect world which he lives. Since the world is a mix of both good and bad, and is not a heavenly afterlife, the tensions of existence are felt from time to time by those who experience this world, especially its hardships. We Muslims would say that the hardships and tensions of existence are a manifestation of God’s attribute of jalal or majesty and if patiently endured would be the gateway to Divine Love and Beauty as well as humbleness of the self. Voegelin described the “tensions of existence,” as arising in gnostic pathologies from the difficulty which occurs from enduring in this world.

Unable to be patient through the tensions of existence, the gnostic escapes through self-delusion. He does not blame his own sinful soul for evil and problems but instead blames God or the world. The Christian gnostics were angry for God for creating the world this way. The modern gnostics are angry at the state of the world as well. They attempt to do what Voegelin called immanentizing the eschaton or making real that which is transcendent. They would like to create heaven on earth and achieve their Utopian goals and dreams. The gnostic creates the delusion that one can achieve the “perfect society” the “heaven on earth” which they desire in this world. In the process and quest of creating heaven on earth however they create hell on earth.

The gnostic self-delusion which relieves them from the tensions of existence becomes a force for immense evil in the world. The gnostic constructs his own reality, believes in his own political and secular religions, and attempts to achieve his Utopian dreams. This what we find manifested throughout modernity - Voegelin strongly rebukes the spiritual death of man which results from his gnostic desire to achieve temporary spiritual relief. Perhaps the strongest example of modern gnosticism is in the abhorrent legacy of communism which constructed its own reality and in the quest for achieving what Marx called “communism,” led to the destruction of society, religion, property, and the killing of millions. The sad chapter of history named communism will be forever known as the paramount example of the gnostic delusion.

The Holy Father Pope Benedict has discussed this as well. When still Cardinal Razniger of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Benedict claimed that two pathologies were destroying the world: nihilism and fundamentalism. Nihilism in its rejection of truth itself, while fundamentalism is the arrogance that one has the authority to sin against others in the cause of the truth. Both extremisms are gnostic pathologies. In the modern world today we find soulless modernity believing in no sense of morality except for the efficiency and utility of social engineering in providing others happiness; religion is fought against and rejected because it takes the place of utilitarian social engineering. On the other side we find extremists in religion, so-called “revolutionaries” who in their quest for the perfect Godly state on earth endorse unjust and sinful methods.

The neoconservatives in the quest for a perfect peaceful liberal democratic order fall into the gnostic fantasy. The Christian fundamentalists who urge war on all Muslim states to achieve a Christian world, or as Ann Coulter says killing their leaders and converting them to Christianity, fall into the gnostic fantasy. The Jewish extremists who urge genocide in the quest for a perfect Jewish Israeli state fall into the gnostic fantasy. Muslim extremists who attempt to achieve the perfect Utopian “Islamic state” through suicide bombings, and terrorism, fall into the gnostic fantasy.

It is for this reason that the classical conservatives have always opposed revolution. There may be tyranny in the world, but I will take a tyrant leader any day than one led by a gnostic revolution. It is appropriate here to repeat the counsel of the venerable Joseph De’Maistre, “The Counter-Revolution will not be a reverse revolution, but the reverse of a Revolution.”

To be sure there is much good in the world, and being good and using good means can spread goodness in the world. Conservatives have always understood this. Burke said famously that “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” However good means must be used to achieve righteous goals and the natural rights and inherent dignity of all human beings must be respected. The Islamic maxim states “good means must be used to establish good ends.” Conservatives have long found gradual evolutionary change to be more beneficial than revolutionary change. Specifically if change is established through sinful means than expect it to be unblessed. Muslims would say that such change loses its barakah or Divine blessing which accompanies good. And lastly, peaceful and good change is a different thing altogether than attempting at establishing Utopia. Don’t fall into the gnostic self-delusion!

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