Kira Drury
As much as we may prefer to believe that we are exempt from the historical circumstances preceding our birth, our species has always been haunted by patterns. These repeating webs of destruction and creation have defined human history for thousands of years and continue to shape our present, whether or not we are aware of them. As French philosopher and politician Alphonse de Lamartine once said:”History teaches us everything, including the future.”
This adage is more relevant than ever. Through the lens of history and evolutionary psychology, the growing trend of authoritarian conservatism sweeping across the globe becomes more and more apparent. The increasing popularity of leaders and parties like Marine Le Pen in France, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), and, of course, MAGA conservatives in the United States reveals our deep-rooted desire for stability and tradition following decades of upheaval and uncertainty.
Humans are biologically wired to seek stability. To survive, our ancestors depended on organized and efficient group structures to face threats from nature, animals, or rival tribes. Those outside of stable communities were far more likely to die early. This desire for order is as deeply embedded in us as hunger or fear. Today, we satisfy this instinct by identifying with religion, nationality, ethnicity, and other group affiliations. But this intense craving can make us blind to the costs of absolute stability.
Authoritarian conservatism offers the ultimate illusion of stability: a rigid society rooted in familiar, traditional values that evoke a sense of safety and prosperity. But this image is largely promoted by those who have never lived under such systems and view the past through rose-colored glasses. Even during the brief moments in history when “Western traditional values” were rigorously enforced, large swaths of people were harmed. Even those who benefitted from the “conservative” part of such systems were still constrained by the authoritarian element. No one truly wins. What authoritarianism gains in control, it loses in justice and freedom.
And yet, in times of crisis—or shortly after—this trade-off can seem worth it. After collective trauma, humans not only desire but desperately demand stability. This desperation can quickly lead us down a dark path. Time and again, history shows that conservative dictatorships tend to rise in the aftermath of national or global crises.
The authoritarian regimes of the 1930s and ’40s arose directly from the pain of the Great Depression, World War I, and the Spanish Flu pandemic. Napoleon’s rise in the early 1800s followed the chaos of the French Revolution and Reign of Terror. One of the earliest examples comes from Thomas Hobbes in his 1651 treatise Leviathan, which argued for a supreme sovereign to restore order. Hobbes’s ideas were not created in a vacuum—they were clearly shaped by the horrors of the English Civil War, which ended the same year his book was published.
Across these examples, one pattern stands out: instability gives rise to fear, and fear gives rise to authoritarianism.
But there’s more. Alongside instability, there’s often a deep sense of national disenfranchisement. This emotional undercurrent—feeling that one’s country or identity has been wronged—acts as a catalyst for authoritarian movements. When people feel their national identity is under threat, they are more likely to embrace a leader who promises to restore pride and order, even if it comes at the cost of democracy.
National identity is one of the ways we fulfill our need for belonging. But nationalism has long been a tool for authoritarian regimes. They often twist historical narratives to convince citizens that their nation has been humiliated or betrayed. Whether or not these grievances are real, the response is the same: “Make the nation great again” through strict control and traditional values.
We are seeing this rhetoric take center stage in countries across the world—and it does not bode well for liberal democracy. If history is any guide, this resurgence of authoritarian conservatism isn’t a coincidence. It’s the predictable response to our current moment of post-crisis disarray.
With this knowledge, we must remain vigilant. As citizens—and especially as students—we have a responsibility to recognize the psychological and historical dynamics at play in the world today. The COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008–2009 Great Recession should have been wake-up calls for democratic institutions to strengthen themselves, not weaken under pressure. We must understand that catastrophic events don’t just leave scars on society; they shape the politics of the future.
We are not exempt from history. We are in it. And if we want to preserve democracy, we must understand how quickly it can slip away—not with violence at first, but with a promise of order.