Part of the Casswiki article series History and Politics and pathocracy
Synarchy is a model of social order based on the rule of a spiritual elite. This was specially popular in esoteric circles in the early 20th century. Synarchistic authors include Rene Guenon, R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz and Julius Evola.
The idea of synarchy is that a society must be organized according to the inherent capacities of its members. A certain talent and following of a discipline of development will make a fit ruling class capable of determining what is good in each case for which other beings. This is a cross between enlightened monarchy, caste system and fascism.
Synarchy amounts to government by secret societies, with members holding positions of open or covert influence in government, economy and religion. The idea is generally totalitarian. Theocracy, meaning rule by priesthood, is not far from synarchy.
Synarchistic thought is often linked to the concept of a new mankind of supermen, as the term may variously be defined. Some synarchists had leanings towards the Nazis and Italian fascists in the 1930’s but the relationship was not without its problems, since the Nazis and fascists did not particularly like the idea of an occult elite other than their own.
Boris Mouravieff displays some synarchistic influence in his Gnosis series when he speaks, in retrospect rather naively, of the need to organize a new world order around the core of the United Nations for guiding humanity towards the Age of the Holy Spirit.
The Bavarian Illuminati of Adam Weishaupt was an early organization that could be termed synarchistic. Most probably synarchistic thought is an important element in the worldview of present day covert elites, although they prefer having a more populistic government as a front.
Synarchistic discourse speaks of a sort of Nietzschean superman that implies a degree of contempt of the mediocrity of masses and a belief in the right of the strong or the smart. This can however be very subtly expressed, referring to all manner of spiritual attainment. By contrast, while George Gurdjieff’s ideas on governance also include the need for being qualified, this is expressed in terms of having attained and having been able to teach objective reason and objective conscience, not in terms of the rather arrogant, strictly individualistic ruling cast of synarchy.
See also
- Illuminati
- Consortium
- Fascism