Accelerationism

Accelerationism is a political theory that advocates immediate widespread societal change. It argues that societal and technological progress are inevitable, and that humanity would be best served by immediately embracing such progress. Accelerationism is not tied to left-wing or right-wing movements, and has been adopted by fringe groups on both ends of the political spectrum. However, right-wing and left-wing accelerationists tend to disagree on the goal toward which humanity is progressing.

In the past, accelerationist policies instituted by governments have sometimes resulted in widespread tragedy. One such instance is the Great Leap Forward, which Chinese leader Mao Zedong instituted to move China from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy. However, the reforms resulted in tens of millions of deaths.

Background

Accelerationism is a fringe political theory that can be observed throughout much of human history. Political theories are frameworks of thought that allow scholars to better understand the ways in which the political world is shaped. When scholars study political theory, they typically seek to understand both the present political situation and the factors that led to the political status quo. Some of the factors that contribute to various political theories include the divide between secular government and theocracies, the value of democracy, the role of government, and the different methods by which nation states may interact.

Political theory has likely existed in some form for as long as governments have existed. People under the rule of a specific government are likely to evaluate that government, debating whether the current government is the ideal form of government, and evaluating its successes and failures. Some early influential political theorists include ancient Greek writers Sophocles, Thucydides, and Plato. Later philosophers included John Rawls, Hannah Ardent, and many others.

Influential political theories include liberalism, communitarianism, and green political theory. Liberalism argues that the central problem of all politics is the protection of the freedoms of individual people, and that all political processes should serve this goal. The theory recognizes that some form of government is necessary to protect peoples’ freedoms. However, it also recognizes that tyrannical governments are one of the most common threats to individual freedom. For this reason, liberalism typically advocates weak governments with just enough power to accomplish their goals.

Communitarianism argues that focusing solely on the rights of the individual is a mistake, and that each individual exists in a network of social relationships. These theorists argue that with these social relationships come a series of obligations, and that people are often obligated to act for the good of the community rather than their own self-interest. For this reason, proponents of communitarianism have often come into conflict with proponents of liberalism.

Green political theory evolved more recently than many other influential political theories, first developing in the 1970s. It opposes liberal capitalism, arguing that such political theories place too much weight on the rights of the individual, and less on the rights of the society. Proponents of green politics often argue that liberal capitalist policies have led to the destruction of the natural environment, a consequence that harms all members of a community.

Overview

Accelerationism argues that political change is both inevitable and generally beneficial to humanity. This theory holds that as society changes, it typically advances, bringing new ways of thinking, new technologies, and a gradual increase in quality of life. Accelerationists also acknowledge that these transitions are rarely painless. Social progress and economic change are often difficult for many people, and may lead to conflicts that can cause significant suffering, but these downsides are unavoidable.

For this reason, proponents of accelerationism argue that social change and technological progress should be embraced at all costs. They believe that by accelerating progress, humanity can speed its way to an already-inevitable future. Even if the process causes more immediate suffering than might otherwise occur, they argue that it will lessen the long-term suffering while allowing humanity to benefit earlier than if people had resisted change.

Past accelerationist movements have occasionally had disastrous results. For example, the Great Leap Forward was a plan carried out by the People's Republic of China to force the Chinese economy to transition from an agrarian economy into an industrial economy within five years. The plan was led by Chinese leader Mao Zedong, who hoped that the rapid societal changes would allow China to economically compete with Western powers. However, the plan resulted in unexpected tragedy, leading to thirty to fifty-five million deaths from overwork, starvation, and execution.

Unlike many other political theories, accelerationist movements are not tied to left- or right-wing politics, and can be found at both ends of the political spectrum. The two sides often agree on the methods that should be used, but disagree on the theoretically unavoidable goals. For example, far-left accelerationist movements might argue that the collapse of capitalism and the gradual development of a communist state is inevitable, and thus it might benefit humanity to skip any interim steps and immediately develop such a style of governance. However, far-right movements might argue that the collapse of any large-scale government that places unnecessary restrictions on its citizens is inevitable, and that humanity should immediately move towards laissez-faire capitalism.

In the vast majority of cases, accelerationist views are held by the fringes of more-mainstream political movements. Because of the impracticality associated with creating immediate, drastic change in a large society, as well as the potential risks and unintended consequences associated with such a change, most political theories advocate for taking more gradual steps to shift society. Additionally, when accelerationist changes have been implemented throughout history, they were often implemented by totalitarian governments with the authority to create and enforce immediate widespread reforms.

Bibliography

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Chappelow, Jim. “What Was the Great Leap Forward?” Investopedia, 2019, www.investopedia.com/terms/g/great-leap-forward.asp. Accessed 16 Jul. 2020.

Dryzek, John S., Bonnie Honig, and Anne Phillips. “Overview of Political Theory.” Oxford Handbooks, www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199604456.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199604456-e-002. Accessed 16 Jul. 2020.

Holt, Macon. “What Is Accelerationism?” Ark Books, 2018, arkbooks.dk/what-is-accelerationism/. Accessed 16 Jul. 2020.

Land, Nick. “A Quick and Dirty Introduction to Accelerationism.” Jacobite, 2017, jacobitemag.com/2017/05/25/a-quick-and-dirty-introduction-to-accelerationism/. Accessed 16 Jul. 2020.

“Thoughts on Vox’s Article on Accelerationism.” Medium, 2020, medium.com/bleeding-into-reality/thoughts-on-voxs-article-on-accelerationism-b598f6700537. Accessed 16 Jul. 2020.

“What Is Accelerationism?” New Statesman, 2016, www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2016/08/what-accelerationism. Accessed 16 Jul. 2020.