A Left Wing Benedict Option?

This critique of liberalism should not be interpreted as a sign of any sympathy on my

part for contemporary conservatism Prologue: After Virtue after a Quarter of a
Century

That MacIntyre chose to include this disclaimer, written twentyfive years after the initial publication of After Virtue, is an indication of
how often his work has been misconstrued. Recently Rod Dreher, and a
number of others have begun to seriously discuss the so-called
Benedict Option. Taking their inspiration from the final pages of After
Virtue, where MacIntyre called for another and doubtless very
different St Benedict, proponents of the Benedict Option, and their
conversation partners, have almost exclusively been conservative. But
if MacIntyre is not calling for a retreat by cultural conservatives, bent
upon preserving their religious traditions in the face an increasingly
secular society, then what is purpose of his reference to St Benedict?
Furthermore, is there any connection between Drehers project and
MacIntyre? And is it possible that MacIntyres approach to
contemporary politics has something important to say to progressives?
Here is how Damon Linker describes this phenomenon. Haveyou
heardoftheBenedictOption?Ifnot,youwillsoon.It'sthenameofadeeplypessimistic
culturalprojectthat'scapturingtheimaginationsofsocialconservativesastheycometo
termswiththerealizationthatthehopesandassumptionsthatanimatedthereligiousright
overthepast35oddyearshavebeendashedbythesweepingtriumphofthemovement
forsamesexmarriage(http://theweek.com/articles/555734/benedictoptionwhy
religiousrightconsideringalloutwithdrawalfrompolitics).AccordingtoLinker,much
oftheimpetusbehindtherecentinterestintheBenedictOptionstemsfromthefailurethe
politicalprojectofthereligiousright;ifFalwellsMoralMajoritywasthismovements
heyday,thepopularoutcryagainstIndianasReligiousFreedomRestorationActwasthe
momentwhenmanysocialconservativesrealizedthateffortshadbeenfutile.Linker
viewstheBenedictOptionasamarriagebetweenculturalpoliticsandpragmatism.It
representsamovementofsocialconservativeswhohavebecomepessimists,whonow
engagewiththestateonlywhenitservestostrengthentheireffortstoseparate
themselvesfromtheamoralityofsecularsociety.
ButitisneitherapparentthatLinkersnarrativeisentirelyaccuratenorisitclear
thathispredictionsconcerningthenatureofthemovementwillpanout.Anotherequally
plausiblenarrativeisavailable,onethatDreherpartiallyoffersinhisbookCrunchy
Cons,whereheinitiallydrewuponMacIntyresnotionofanotherStBenedict.There
Dreherdescribestherealizationthatmanytraditionallyliberalconcernsespecially
regardingtheenvironment,skepticismconcerningbigbusiness,andlocalfoodsourcing
wereverymuchimportanttohim.ItislikelythatDreherswasnotanisolated
experience.Assuch,itispossibletoviewtheincreasinginterestintheBenedictOption
asarecognitionamongmanyconservativesthattheirvisionandvaluesweretruncated,
largelybecauseoftheirallegiancetotheRepublicanParty,anditsunabashedalliance

withcorporatepower.Ifthisisthecase,thentheriseoftheBenedictOptionmayhave
lesstodowithculturalpoliticsandmoretodowiththerecognitionthattheAmerican
politicalsystemisincreasinglyunresponsivetoanythingbutcorporatedonations.
ItwasthissentimentthatMacIntyreexpressedinhisbriefessay,concerningthe
2008presidentialelection.Whenofferedachoicebetweentwopoliticallyintolerable
alternatives,itisimportanttochooseneither.Andwhenthatchoiceispresentedinrival
argumentsanddebatesthatexcludefrompublicconsiderationanyothersetof
possibilities,itbecomesadutytowithdrawfromthoseargumentsanddebates,soasto
resisttheimpositionofthisfalsechoicebythosewhohavearrogatedtothemselvesthe
powerofframingthealternatives(TheOnlyVoteWorthCastinginNovermber).The
sameconcernsliebehindMacIntyresdiscussionofStBenedictintheclosingpagesof
AfterVirtue.