Ricardo PintoThe “New Right” authoritarian movement has inspired an outpouring of cultural commentary, but much of it treats the movement as novel and unprecedented. However, authoritarianism has a long intellectual history, rooted in ideas hostile to reason and individualism.
In the ARI Live winter 2026 course Reactionary Authoritarianism: From Mussolini to the ‘New Right,’ Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Elan Journo will examine the philosophical and historical origins of modern authoritarian movements. Tracing the path from anti-Enlightenment thought to fascism and Nazism, the course will show how reactionary ideas gained mass appeal, inspired collective sacrifice, and culminated in violence and war. Understanding these origins will help students place today’s authoritarian currents in their proper intellectual context.
Sotirakopoulos brings a distinctive perspective to the subject. In his youth, he was drawn to authoritarian ideologies himself, embracing communism before later discovering Ayn Rand’s philosophy. That experience informs his analysis of the appeal of collectivism across the political spectrum. As he now puts it, the “New Right” and Marxists are “both variants of collectivism,” united by their hostility to modern industrial society and freedom.
Sotirakopoulos’ personal perspective, together with Journo’s philosophical analysis, will equip students to cut through surface-level labels and grasp the deeper forces driving today’s political ideologies.
The course starts on January 12, 2026 and runs for eight weeks. Live classes meet on Mondays, 12-2:30 PM ET. Registration is now open.
Image Credit: Heinrich Hoffmann/ullstein bild via Getty Images
Tristan de Liege
NI Staff
