He definitely had some problematic opinions. Namely he thought that modern feminist and gay rights type movements were distracting from bigger problems. Though he did actually get that ideological idea from Marx who theorised that the owner class distracts the worker class with disputes over social rights of marginalised peoples to distract from the bigger problem in society (which marx viewed as the owner classes monopoly on ownership of means of production, while Kaczynski viewed it as techno-industrial society which removes people far from their natural behaviour (self reliance and sustenance) and destroys the nature which makes it possible.)
Not sure that qualifies him as a “full on reactionary” though. And I’m not sure I agree with your dismissal of his writings as “just mad things were changing”. They’re quite thorough and rigorous. He spent a couple decades writing multiple theoretical works to back up his views. We had an entire class on them at the masters level in social theory.
Really? We never covered that in my class? And I even read his later letters and stuff. Though I do remember reading a letter that apoligised to women and gay people because he thought he had had bigoted opinions towards them earlier in life, so that probably is what he’s referencing. Our professor must not have put that in the reading list. Good to know, thanks.
He definitely had some problematic opinions. Namely he thought that modern feminist and gay rights type movements were distracting from bigger problems. Though he did actually get that ideological idea from Marx who theorised that the owner class distracts the worker class with disputes over social rights of marginalised peoples to distract from the bigger problem in society (which marx viewed as the owner classes monopoly on ownership of means of production, while Kaczynski viewed it as techno-industrial society which removes people far from their natural behaviour (self reliance and sustenance) and destroys the nature which makes it possible.)
Not sure that qualifies him as a “full on reactionary” though. And I’m not sure I agree with your dismissal of his writings as “just mad things were changing”. They’re quite thorough and rigorous. He spent a couple decades writing multiple theoretical works to back up his views. We had an entire class on them at the masters level in social theory.
Marx doesn’t come down against rights though, Ted did. He specifically wrote about how women should be subservient to men, it’s vile stuff.
Really? We never covered that in my class? And I even read his later letters and stuff. Though I do remember reading a letter that apoligised to women and gay people because he thought he had had bigoted opinions towards them earlier in life, so that probably is what he’s referencing. Our professor must not have put that in the reading list. Good to know, thanks.
Well it’s nice he changed his mind after having nothing to do but think about it for a while.