The Reactionary Spirit Book Review

​​Title: The Reactionary Spirit
Author: Zack Beauchamp
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Politics
Published: 2024
Pages: 246
Goodreads Rating: 3.96
Rating: 8/10

“The very triumph of the system contained the seeds of a future crisis.”

There is an undeniable tension between liberal idealism and democratic reality. But is this tension avoidable? Taking a look at the past, it’s safe to say that it’s inevitable. Throughout the history of democracy, with each major step towards the equality and embrace of others, the reactionary spirit emerges in an attempt to reinstate the status quo. What’s the reactionary spirit? It’s the existential threat to freedom and fairness.

Pros
Jaw-dropping facts 
Do you know about George Soros and how he was picked as Orbán’s scapegoat? Can you guess how many days it took for the rewritten Hungarian constitution to be approved by parliament? Are you caught up on China’s self-inflicted economic outlook? Beauchamp provides the answers to these questions along with many other interesting facts throughout The Reactionary Spirit. 

Insightful
The reactionary spirit is an unavoidable consequence of democracy. When a democratic government moves towards equal rights, the conservative response will emerge to undermine that progress. Depending on your preparedness, the strength of that response will vary. The best you can do is contain the reactionary spirit. But when you’re not “vaccinated” against it, the infection will be severe. We’ve witnessed the severity of the conservative response in a variety of countries with Beauchamp focusing on the USA, Hungary, Israel, and India. 

Optimistic ending
Before you succumb to depressive thoughts, Beauchamp ends on an optimistic note. He highlights the most successful ways to contain the reactionary spirit so it poses less of an existential threat to democracy. 

Cons
Democracy levels
At the start of the book, Beauchamp says democracy’s “core principle is that no person is inherently better than any other; for that reason, we all deserve an equal say in determining how we’re governed.” But the implementation of democracy varies and there are many types of democracies. A few are highlighted in the book and each has a different definition. Just in America, we started as a minimalist democracy and have been slowly moving towards a more liberal democracy. I wish that this distinction had been addressed earlier in the book. 

Balance between idealism and realism
There were a few moments in the book where Beauchamp’s view was clearly idealistic versus practical. One of the more obvious examples is his view of America’s alliance with India. While I appreciate his perspective, he seems to ignore some tough realities.

Overall…
The Reactionary Spirit provided a fascinating view into the evolution of and threats to democracy. Beauchamp adds his personal perspective to the story which I tended to agree with. But it could be off putting for some readers.