The Ideology of Sameness

Alain de Benoist attributed liberalism and the individualism that stems from it to the idea of transforming man, a social animal, into a being removed from the soil, uprooted from any community, and therefore interchangeable.

This essay offers Benoist the opportunity to revisit this theme by developing a definition of what he calls ‘the ideology of Sameness’.

Key Concepts Explored in the Essay:

• Egalitarianism vs. Inequality
  If we reject egalitarianism, should we accept all kinds of inequality? No, because equality is never an absolute.
  • Men can be equal in certain respects — for example, their political membership in a community — and unequal in others.
  • As communal beings, men must necessarily accept certain forms of equality.
• The Danger of the ‘Ideology of Sameness’
  What needs to be fought against is the ‘ideology of Sameness’, which lies at the heart of modernity.
  • This sinister dynamic aims at:
    • The complete annihilation of all differences
    • The neutralisation of the world
    • The destruction of communities
    • All in the name of a purely mathematical vision of equality

A Pathological Distortion of Equality

This ‘ideology of Sameness’ represents a pathological distortion of the concept of political equality. Benoist argues that equality is not synonymous with Sameness, urging readers to reconsider the modern approach to equality and its implications for community and individuality.