Götz Kubitschek’s Rebellion against the Values of 1968

• In Event: Taking New-Right Thinkers Seriously: Perspectives on Europe, Russia, and the US

Abstract

Götz Kubitschek is Germany’s most visible New Right thinker. As a self-described “conservative revolutionary,” Kubitschek argues that his country suffers from a distorted view of democracy propagated by the ruling “1968 generation.” In contrast, he claims to offer a path to a revitalized form of German democracy that is based upon a supposedly more authentic conception of citizenship, true tolerance, and national pride. In this paper, I shall seek to show why Kubitschek’s views have helped parties like the Alliance for Germany gain a veneer of intellectual legitimacy. Moreover, I will consider the possibility that Kubitschek’s ideas are sufficiently coherent that they will continue to influence German democracy even if the electoral appeal of Right-wing populism should decline.

Author

• A. James McAdams, University of Notre Dame