Brian Patrick Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Brian Patrick Mitchell is an American journalist, political theorist, and theologian, known for his theory of political difference, theology of interpersonal relations, and critical analysis of gender integration of the American armed forces.
. After seven years in infantry
and counterintelligence, he left the Army and became an associate editor of Navy Times
, an independent weekly newspaper. In 1989, while at Navy Times, Mitchell published Weak Link: The Feminization of the American Military (ISBN 0895265559), the first book-length critical analysis of gender integration of the U.S. military. The book received national and international attention, including appearances by Mitchell on ABC
’s Nightline
, NBC
’s Today, CBS
’s Face the Nation
, CNN
’s Larry King Live
and Crossfire
, and many other television and radio shows. In 1992, Mitchell testified before the Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces
.
In 1998, Mitchell published Women in the Military: Flirting with Disaster (ISBN 0895263769), adding coverage of events since the publication of Weak Link, including the Invasion of Panama, the Gulf War
, the Tailhook scandal
, and the Aberdeen training scandal. That same year Mitchell also published The Scandal of Gender: Early Christian Teaching on the Man and the Woman (ISBN 096491414X).
(defined as the use of force) and archē
or “archy” (defined as the recognition of rank). Mitchell rooted his distinction of archy and kratos in the West's historical experience of church and state, crediting the collapse of the Christian consensus on church and state with the appearance of four main divergent traditions in Western political thought:
Mitchell charts these traditions graphically using a vertical axis as a scale of kratos
/akrateia and a horizontal axis as a scale of archy
/anarchy
. He places democratic progressivism in the lower left, plutocratic nationalism in the lower right, republication constitutionalism in the upper right, and libertarian individualism in the upper left. The political left is therefore distinguished by its rejection of archy, while the political right is distinguished by its acceptance of archy.
For Mitchell, anarchy is not the absence of government but the rejection of rank. Thus there can be both anti-government anarchists (Mitchell’s “libertarian individualists”) and pro-government anarchists (Mitchell's “democratic progressives,” who favor the use of government force against social hierarchies such as patriarchy
). Mitchell also distinguishes between left-wing anarchists and right-wing anarchists, whom Mitchell renames “akratists” for their opposition to the government’s use of force.
In addition to the four main traditions, Mitchell identifies eight distinct political perspectives represented in contemporary American politics:
A potential ninth perspective, in the midst of the eight, is populism
, which Mitchell says is vaguely defined and situation dependent, having no fixed character other than opposition to the prevailing power.
Eight Ways received favorable reviews from libertarians and paleoconservatives, who welcomed the attention and the critique, but it has been largely ignored by the political mainstream.
from hierarchy
. Mitchell characterizes hierarchy as involving dissimilarity, inequality, subjection, and mediation between higher and lower ranks, whereas archy involves similarity, equality, unity, intimacy, and order based on derivative being or “sourceness.”
Following Greek patristic theology, which identifies the Father
as the archē of both the Son
and the Holy Spirit
, Mitchell terms relations within the Trinity
archical and not hierarchical. He likewise terms relations within man as naturally archical but “economically” hierarchical on account of the fall. The distinction of gender is also explained as naturally archical but economically hierarchical.
of the Orthodox Church in America
. He is also a member of the Academy of Philosophy and Letters.
Early works
Mitchell was commissioned in the U.S. Army through ROTC at the University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. After seven years in infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and counterintelligence, he left the Army and became an associate editor of Navy Times
Navy Times
Navy Times is a weekly newspaper serving active, reserve and retired United States Navy personnel and their families, providing news, information and analysis as well as community lifestyle features, educational supplements and resource guides...
, an independent weekly newspaper. In 1989, while at Navy Times, Mitchell published Weak Link: The Feminization of the American Military (ISBN 0895265559), the first book-length critical analysis of gender integration of the U.S. military. The book received national and international attention, including appearances by Mitchell on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
’s Nightline
Nightline
Nightline, or ABC News Nightline is a late-night news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs weeknights, usually for 31 minutes. Created by Roone Arledge, the program featured Ted Koppel as its main...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
’s Today, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
’s Face the Nation
Face the Nation
Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer is an American Sunday-morning political interview show which premiered on the CBS television network on November 7, 1954. It is one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
’s Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
and Crossfire
Crossfire
A crossfire is a military term for the siting of weapons so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I....
, and many other television and radio shows. In 1992, Mitchell testified before the Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces
Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces
The role of women in the United States armed services became an important political topic in 1991. Women military personnel had engaged in combat in the most recent U.S. military actions: Grenada in 1983 Panama in 1989, and the Gulf War in 1991. Senator William V...
.
In 1998, Mitchell published Women in the Military: Flirting with Disaster (ISBN 0895263769), adding coverage of events since the publication of Weak Link, including the Invasion of Panama, the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, the Tailhook scandal
Tailhook scandal
The Tailhook scandal refers to a series of incidents where more than 100 U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps aviation officers were alleged to have sexually assaulted at least 87 women, or otherwise engaged in "improper and indecent" conduct at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, and the Aberdeen training scandal. That same year Mitchell also published The Scandal of Gender: Early Christian Teaching on the Man and the Woman (ISBN 096491414X).
Political theory
In 2006, while working as the Washington bureau chief of Investor’s Business Daily, Mitchell published Eight Ways to Run the Country: A New and Revealing Look at Left and Right (ISBN 0275993582), improving upon a theory of political difference first presented by Mitchell in the short-lived journal Theologies & Moral Concerns in 1995. Eight Ways analyzes modern American political perspectives according to their regard for kratosKratos
Kratos may refer to:*The Greek word κράτος krátos, 'power', which is the second root in words like aristocrat and democracy. Its mythological personification was the god Kratos, a son of Styx.*Kratos MS 50, a tool for Electron ionization...
(defined as the use of force) and archē
Arche
Arche is a Greek word with primary senses 'beginning', 'origin' or 'first cause' and 'power', 'sovereignty', 'domination' as extended meanings. This list is extended to 'ultimate underlying substance' and 'ultimate undemonstrable principle'...
or “archy” (defined as the recognition of rank). Mitchell rooted his distinction of archy and kratos in the West's historical experience of church and state, crediting the collapse of the Christian consensus on church and state with the appearance of four main divergent traditions in Western political thought:
- republicanRepublicanismRepublicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
constitutionalismConstitutionalismConstitutionalism has a variety of meanings. Most generally, it is "a complex of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law"....
= pro archy, anti kratos - libertarianLibertarianismLibertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
individualismIndividualismIndividualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...
= anti archy, anti kratos - democratic progressivismProgressivismProgressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
= anti archy, pro kratos - plutocratic nationalismNationalismNationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
= pro archy, pro kratos
Mitchell charts these traditions graphically using a vertical axis as a scale of kratos
Kratos
Kratos may refer to:*The Greek word κράτος krátos, 'power', which is the second root in words like aristocrat and democracy. Its mythological personification was the god Kratos, a son of Styx.*Kratos MS 50, a tool for Electron ionization...
/akrateia and a horizontal axis as a scale of archy
Archy
Archy is a software system whose user interface poses a radically different approach for interacting with computers with respect to traditional graphical user interfaces. Designed by human-computer interface expert Jef Raskin, it embodies his ideas and established results about human-centered...
/anarchy
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
. He places democratic progressivism in the lower left, plutocratic nationalism in the lower right, republication constitutionalism in the upper right, and libertarian individualism in the upper left. The political left is therefore distinguished by its rejection of archy, while the political right is distinguished by its acceptance of archy.
For Mitchell, anarchy is not the absence of government but the rejection of rank. Thus there can be both anti-government anarchists (Mitchell’s “libertarian individualists”) and pro-government anarchists (Mitchell's “democratic progressives,” who favor the use of government force against social hierarchies such as patriarchy
Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination...
). Mitchell also distinguishes between left-wing anarchists and right-wing anarchists, whom Mitchell renames “akratists” for their opposition to the government’s use of force.
In addition to the four main traditions, Mitchell identifies eight distinct political perspectives represented in contemporary American politics:
- communitarian = ambivalent toward archy, pro kratos
- progressiveProgressivismProgressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
= anti archy, pro kratos (democratic progressivism) - radicalPolitical radicalismThe term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value systems in fundamental ways...
= anti archy, ambivalent toward kratos - individualist = anti archy, anti kratos (libertarian individualism)
- paleolibertarian = ambivalent toward archy, anti kratos
- paleoconservative = pro archy, anti kratos (republican constitutionalism)
- theoconservativeTheoconservativeTheoconservatism is a derogatory political label referring to members of the Christian right, particularly those whose ideology is a synthesis of elements of American conservatism, Conservative Christianity and social conservatism, expressed through political means. This term first appeared in...
= pro archy, ambivalent toward kratos - neoconservative = pro archy, pro kratos (plutocratic nationalism)
A potential ninth perspective, in the midst of the eight, is populism
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, which Mitchell says is vaguely defined and situation dependent, having no fixed character other than opposition to the prevailing power.
Eight Ways received favorable reviews from libertarians and paleoconservatives, who welcomed the attention and the critique, but it has been largely ignored by the political mainstream.
Theology
In 2010, Mitchell applied archē to Christian theology and anthropology, refining the concept to distinguish archyArchy
Archy is a software system whose user interface poses a radically different approach for interacting with computers with respect to traditional graphical user interfaces. Designed by human-computer interface expert Jef Raskin, it embodies his ideas and established results about human-centered...
from hierarchy
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
. Mitchell characterizes hierarchy as involving dissimilarity, inequality, subjection, and mediation between higher and lower ranks, whereas archy involves similarity, equality, unity, intimacy, and order based on derivative being or “sourceness.”
Following Greek patristic theology, which identifies the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
as the archē of both the Son
God the Son
God the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...
and the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, Mitchell terms relations within the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
archical and not hierarchical. He likewise terms relations within man as naturally archical but “economically” hierarchical on account of the fall. The distinction of gender is also explained as naturally archical but economically hierarchical.
Personal
Mitchell is an Orthodox Christian and deaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
of the Orthodox Church in America
Orthodox Church in America
The Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in North America. Its primate is Metropolitan Jonah , who was elected on November 12, 2008, and was formally installed on December 28, 2008...
. He is also a member of the Academy of Philosophy and Letters.
External links
- Eight Ways to Run the Country
- "Political Charts: Where do you fit?" Newsvine, June 5, 2007.
- “Beyond Red and Blue”, by Paul Gottfried, The American Conservative, April 9, 2007.
- “Who’s Who Intellectually”, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr., LewRockwell.com, January 11, 2007.
- “Libertarianism and the Great Divide”, by Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, March 17, 2007.