The article "Curtis Yarvin: The Pied Piper Behind the Techbros' Intended Destruction of America": from Technocracy News:
discusses the influence of Curtis Yarvin, a tech philosopher, on Silicon Valley elites and their alignment with populist movements, particularly former President Donald Trump. Yarvin, also known by his pen name Mencius Moldbug, is a prominent figure in the neo-reactionary movement, advocating for the replacement of liberal democracy with an authoritarian dictatorship.
Yarvin's ideas have found resonance among tech industry leaders, including Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. These individuals have reportedly influenced political strategies that align with Yarvin's vision of dismantling democratic institutions in favour of centralised, technocratic governance. The article suggests that Trump's endorsement of technocratic policies, as promoted by Musk and his associates, reflects Yarvin's advocacy for ending democracy and establishing authoritarian rule.
This perspective is echoed in other analyses, such as The Guardian's report on Yarvin's growing influence within political circles, highlighting his opposition to liberal democracy and support for autocratic governance.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/21/curtis-yarvin-trump
The Dark Enlightenment (often called Neoreaction or NRx) emerged from Yarvin's writings in 2007–2008, later expanded by philosopher Nick Land, who coined the term in a 2012 essay. It's a loose, anti-democratic, anti-egalitarian intellectual movement.
It challenges "Whig historiography"—the idea that history inevitably advances toward greater liberty and enlightenment via democracy. Instead, it romanticizes pre-modern governance like monarchy or feudalism.
Yarvin's key concept, describing an informal alliance of academia and media (sometimes broader elites) that shapes public opinion and enforces progressive ideology, akin to a secular religion. He sees it as the true power in modern society, not elected officials.
Advocates replacing democracy with a centralized, hierarchical system—often a monarchy or a corporate-style "neocameralism" run by a CEO-like leader. Yarvin argues this would be more efficient and accountable than the current "dysfunctional oligarchy."
NRx rejects equality as a goal, favouring natural hierarchies based on intelligence, race, or capability. Some strains flirt with supremacist ideas, though Yarvin frames it as pragmatic rather than ideological.
Yarvin posits that democracy breeds misaligned incentives, bureaucratic bloat, and social decay. He contrasts it with the streamlined authority of monarchies or corporations (e.g., Apple under Steve Jobs).
From his "Formalist Manifesto" (2007), he treats governance as an engineering problem, aiming to minimize violence through clear, agreed-upon rules and ownership structures—ditching ideological mysticism.
He views liberalism as a totalitarian "Matrix," enforced by the Cathedral, eroding traditional order. Progressivism, to him, is a faith-based delusion undermining civilization.
Yarvin's ideas resonate in Silicon Valley, notably with Peter Thiel, who funded Urbit and shares libertarian leanings. Steve Bannon has praised his work, and Vice President JD Vance cited him in 2021, suggesting firing bureaucrats en masse—a Yarvin-esque idea.
By early 2025, Yarvin's profile rose with Trump's second term. He attended a Trump inaugural gala in January 2025, dubbed an "informal guest of honour" by Politico for his sway over the "Trumpian right."
Land, a British philosopher, took Yarvin's framework and added a techno-futurist twist—accelerationism—pushing for capitalism's unchecked advance, often with a nihilistic edge. He admires figures like Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kuan Yew.
As an anti-liberty and totalitarian movement, the Dark Enlightenment must be opposed by us, even given a sound critique made of the Left. Right wing authoritarianism is to be feared as much as Left wing authoritarianism as well as centralism in all its forms, as Major Douglas and Eric Butler warned us about.