Might Is Right
Encyclopedia
Might Is Right, or The Survival of the Fittest, is a book by pseudonym
ous author Ragnar Redbeard. It heavily advocates social Darwinism
and was first published in 1890
. In Might is Right, Redbeard rejects conventional ideas of human
and natural rights
and argues that only strength or physical might can establish moral right (à la Callicles
).
Libertarian historian James J. Martin
called it "surely one of the most incendiary works ever to be published anywhere."
discussed the philosophy of Might Is Right in his 1897 essay What Is Art?
:
, suspect Ragnar was a pen name
for radical New Zealand
er Arthur Desmond
, a prominent advocate of Henry George
's Single Tax. Some see it as hard to reconcile the difference in their politics. Most who believe that Desmond was Redbeard believe the book to have been a work of satire
.
Others believe that Jack London
wrote Might is Right. As with Desmond the difference in politics is great (London's political activism started in the Marxist Socialist Labor Party and ended in the Socialist Party), and mainstream London-scholars have not supported the assertion that Redbeard was London. Claims that London was Redbeard come, in part, from Satanists; Anton LaVey
thought him "the most likely candidate".
of the Church of Satan
. Though widely thought of as plagiarizing, this is a misconception. The first edition of the Satanic Bible cited sources, and further editions had them taken out without the author's permission.
Today most Satanists, including non-LaVeyans, consider Might is Right to be an important book representing the Satanic view of nature.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
ous author Ragnar Redbeard. It heavily advocates social Darwinism
Social Darwinism
Social Darwinism is a term commonly used for theories of society that emerged in England and the United States in the 1870s, seeking to apply the principles of Darwinian evolution to sociology and politics...
and was first published in 1890
1890 in literature
The year 1890 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* Bram Stoker begins work on Dracula.*Arthur Morrison joins the staff of the Evening Globe newspaper.-New books:*Rolf Boldrewood - The Squatter's Dream...
. In Might is Right, Redbeard rejects conventional ideas of human
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and natural rights
Natural rights
Natural and legal rights are two types of rights theoretically distinct according to philosophers and political scientists. Natural rights are rights not contingent upon the laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government, and therefore universal and inalienable...
and argues that only strength or physical might can establish moral right (à la Callicles
Callicles
Callicles is a character in Plato’s dialogue Gorgias. He is an Athenian citizen, who is a student of the sophist Gorgias. In the dialogue, he argues the position of an oligarchic, proto-"Nietzschean" amoralism: it is natural and just for the strong to dominate the weak and that it is unfair for...
).
Libertarian historian James J. Martin
James J. Martin
James J. Martin was an American historian. He was educated at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Michigan, earning a Ph.D. in history in 1949....
called it "surely one of the most incendiary works ever to be published anywhere."
Reaction
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
discussed the philosophy of Might Is Right in his 1897 essay What Is Art?
What Is Art?
"What Is Art?" is an essay by Leo Tolstoy in which he argues against numerous aesthetic theories which define art in terms of the good, truth, and especially beauty...
:
- "The substance of this book, as it is expressed in the editor's preface, is that to measure "right" by the false philosophy of the Hebrew prophets and "weepful" MessiahMessiahA messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
s is madness. Right is not the offspring of doctrine, but of power. All laws, commandments, or doctrines as to not doing to another what you do not wish done to you, have no inherent authority whatever, but receive it only from the clubClub (weapon)A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
, the gallowsGallowsA gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
, and the swordSwordA sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
. A man truly free is under no obligation to obey any injunction, human or divine. Obedience is the sign of the degenerate. Disobedience is the stamp of the hero. Men should not be bound by moral rules invented by their foes. The whole world is a slippery battlefield. Ideal justice demands that the vanquished should be exploited, emasculated, and scorned. The free and brave may seize the world. And, therefore, there should be eternal war for life, for land, for love, for women, for power, and for gold. (Something similar was said a few years ago by the celebrated and refined academician, VogüéMelchior de VogüéEugène-Melchior, vicomte de Vogüé was a French diplomat, Orientalist, travel writer, archaeologist, philanthropist and literary critic.-Biography:...
.) The earth and its treasures is "booty for the bold." The author has evidently by himself, independently of Nietzsche, come to the same conclusions which are professed by the new artists."
Authorship
Some, such as S. E. ParkerSidney Parker (anarchist)
Sidney Parker, also known as S. E. Parker, is a British egoist individualist anarchist who wrote articles and edited anarchist journals from 1963-1993.- External links :...
, suspect Ragnar was a pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
for radical New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
er Arthur Desmond
Arthur Desmond
Arthur Desmond , a.k.a. Arthur Uing, Ragnar Redbeard, Richard Thurland, Desmond Dilg and Gavin Gowrie, was a New Zealand politician, Australian anarchist, poet and author...
, a prominent advocate of Henry George
Henry George
Henry George was an American writer, politician and political economist, who was the most influential proponent of the land value tax, also known as the "single tax" on land...
's Single Tax. Some see it as hard to reconcile the difference in their politics. Most who believe that Desmond was Redbeard believe the book to have been a work of satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
.
Others believe that Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
wrote Might is Right. As with Desmond the difference in politics is great (London's political activism started in the Marxist Socialist Labor Party and ended in the Socialist Party), and mainstream London-scholars have not supported the assertion that Redbeard was London. Claims that London was Redbeard come, in part, from Satanists; Anton LaVey
Anton LaVey
Anton Szandor LaVey , born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician...
thought him "the most likely candidate".
Influence
Portions of Might Is Right comprise much of the 'Book of Satan' section of the Satanic Bible, authored by Anton LaVeyAnton LaVey
Anton Szandor LaVey , born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician...
of the Church of Satan
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
. Though widely thought of as plagiarizing, this is a misconception. The first edition of the Satanic Bible cited sources, and further editions had them taken out without the author's permission.
Today most Satanists, including non-LaVeyans, consider Might is Right to be an important book representing the Satanic view of nature.
Editions
| Year | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1890 | Auditorium Press | |
| 1896 | A. Uing Publisher | |
| 1903 | A. Mueller Publishers | |
| 1910 | W.J. Robbins Co. Ltd | |
| 1921 | Ross’ Book Service | |
| 1927 | Dil Pickle Press | |
| 1962 | unknown publisher | 18-page abridged edition |
| 1969 | same unknown publisher | Expanded 32-page edition |
| 1972 | Revisionist Press | Reprint of 1927 Dil Pickle edition. ISBN 0-87700-187-1 |
| 1984 | Loompanics Unlimited | ISBN 0-91517-912-1 |
| 1996 | M. H. P & Co. Ltd. | Centennial edition, with intro by Anton LaVey Anton LaVey Anton Szandor LaVey , born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician... . |
| 1999 | 14 Word Press | St. Maries, Idaho St. Maries, Idaho St. Maries is a city in Benewah County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,652 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Benewah County. Pronounced St. Mary's.-Geography:St. Maries is located at .... |
| 2003 | Bugbee Books | |
| 2005 | 29 Books | Reprint of 1927 Dil Pickle edition. ISBN 0-97485-672-X |
| 2005 | Dil Pickle Press | Edited and annotated by Darrell W. Conder. ISBN 0-97282-330-1 |
| 2008 | Zem Books | |
| 2009 | Edition Esoterick | German German language German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union.... hardcover Hardcover A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers... edition. ISBN 978-3-936830-31-6 |
External links
- "The Might Is Right text
- "Hypocrisy, Plagiarism and LaVey" by John Smulo, contains side by side comparisons of Might Is Right with The Satanic Bible