The Dark Enlightenment

Is a radical political philosophy guiding the actions of the Trump administration?

Curtis Yarvin is suddenly all over American media. A computer engineer turned political blogger, he's known for writing long screeds that advocate for a radical reform of governance - dismissing America's democratic values and instead calling for the return of an absolute monarchy.

For years, these ideas were buried in the blogosphere, but they began to gain traction after Donald Trump was first elected to the White House. With Mr Trump back in the oval office, some observers think this once niche school of thought is what's inspiring some of the president's more controversial policies - from Elon Musk's DOGE to attacks on elite institutions like Harvard University to the widespread dismantling of DEI programmes.

How did Curtis Yarvin's ideas become so influential - and how important is he, really?

ARCHIVE:

Triggernometry podcast, The Case Against Democracy, Youtube, July 23 2023. Hermitix Podcast, Gray Mirror of the Nihilist Prince with Curtis Yarvin, Youtube, June 19 2020 Marc Andreessen on his Techno-Optimist Manifesto / YouTube, Start Up Archive / Jan 20 2025

Presenter: Mike Wendling Producer: Lucy Proctor Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Mix: James Beard