The Cathedral and other insights
according to Curtis Yarvin
1) Who is Curtis Yarvin?
Curtis Yarvin, born in 1973, is a former software engineer and American blogger who has become an influential figure in radical right-wing and technolibertarian circles. Cultivating a long-haired revolutionary look while living in San Francisco, he is better known under his pseudonym "Mencius Moldbug," which he used to write on his blog Unqualified Reservations between 2007 and 2014.
Yarvin is the main instigator of the neoreactionary movement (or "NRx"), also called the "Dark Enlightenment," which critiques liberal democracy and advocates for authoritarian forms of governance, often likened to a monarchy or a corporate structure led by a "national CEO." He grew up in a secular, progressive family with communist American Jewish roots on his father’s side and was influenced by the libertarian culture of Silicon Valley in the 1990s. Alongside this, he is the creator of Urbit, a decentralized computing platform, funded notably by Peter Thiel.
Yarvin presents himself as an iconoclastic thinker, blending historical, philosophical, and technological references to critique what he calls "the Cathedral": an informal network of universities, media, and bureaucracy that he accuses of controlling American society through a dominant progressive ideology.
2) The names of thinkers and ideas that influenced him
Yarvin draws from a range of thinkers and intellectual traditions, often reinterpreted in his own way. Here are the main ones:
Thomas Carlyle: This 19th-century philosopher, known for his conservatism and defense of hierarchical order, deeply influenced Yarvin. Carlyle saw democracy as chaotic and advocated for strong authority, an idea Yarvin adopts in his rejection of pure libertarianism for a more authoritarian vision.
Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard: These figures of the Austrian School of economics and libertarianism influenced Yarvin in his youth, particularly through their critique of the interventionist state. However, he later moved away from them toward a more authoritarian stance.
Hans-Hermann Hoppe: A disciple of Rothbard, Hoppe wrote Democracy: The God That Failed, critiquing democracy and defending hierarchical systems. Yarvin explicitly cites this book as a key step in his intellectual evolution.
James Burnham: A former Trotskyist turned conservative, author of The Managerial Revolution, Burnham inspired Yarvin with his vision of a technocratic elite dominating society, a concept Yarvin adapts to his ideas of centralized governance.
Niccolò Machiavelli: Yarvin draws from Machiavelli’s realpolitik, particularly his pragmatic view of power and rejection of democratic ideals in favor of efficiency.
In terms of ideas, Yarvin blends libertarianism (individual liberty, distrust of the bureaucratic state) with reactionary notions (rejection of egalitarianism, nostalgia for premodern systems like monarchy). He dismisses empiricism in favor of a deductive approach, influenced by the Austrian School, and uses technological metaphors to conceptualize politics (e.g., society as an "operating system" to be "rebooted").
3) What are his most well-known articles?
Yarvin has written hundreds of articles on Unqualified Reservations and, more recently, on his Substack Gray Mirror. Here are some of his most iconic works:
"An Open Letter to Open-Minded Progressives" (2008): A series of essays where he lays out his critique of democracy and progressivism, introducing concepts like "the Cathedral" and advocating for a return to hierarchical systems.
"A Gentle Introduction to Unqualified Reservations" (2007): An introductory text summarizing his neoreactionary vision, critiquing the legitimacy of modern democracy and proposing authoritarian alternatives.
"The Cathedral" (2008 and related series): A series of articles where Yarvin develops his key concept of "the Cathedral," describing an informal power system made up of universities, media, and cultural elites that, in his view, imposes a progressive orthodoxy and manipulates public opinion. This term has become central to the neoreactionary lexicon.
"Patchwork: A Political System for the 21st Century" (2008): Here, Yarvin imagines a world fragmented into small sovereign entities managed like corporations, a core idea of his "neocameralism."
"How to Reboot the US Government" (2012): This article introduces the concept of "RAGE" (Retire All Government Employees), a radical proposal to dismantle the federal bureaucracy and centralize power under a strong executive.
"The Clear Pill" (series on Gray Mirror, 2020s): A more recent attempt to "disenchant" his readers by deconstructing the illusions of democracy and advocating for rational, authoritarian governance.
His writings are often long, dense, filled with historical references and irony, making them both fascinating for his supporters and challenging for newcomers.
4) What are the names of people who have been influenced by him?
Yarvin’s ideas have resonated with influential figures, particularly in Silicon Valley and the Trumpist right. Here are the main ones:
J.D. Vance: Vice President-elect of the United States (2025), Vance explicitly cited Yarvin in a 2021 podcast, borrowing the "RAGE" idea to suggest Trump should fire federal bureaucrats and replace them with loyalists. He has called him a "friend" and shares his distrust of democratic institutions.
Peter Thiel: Billionaire and investor, Thiel funded Urbit through his Founders Fund and has called Yarvin a "powerful" historian. His anti-democratic ideas align with Yarvin’s vision of technocratic power.
Marc Andreessen: The venture capitalist and Netscape co-founder has expressed admiration for Yarvin’s writings, particularly on bureaucracy and governance. An informal Trump advisor, he shares affinities with neocameralism.
Steve Bannon: Trump’s former strategist, Bannon read and admired Yarvin, though he later distanced himself. Both share a critique of progressive elites and a fascination with centralized power.
Michael Anton: A senior State Department official under Trump (appointed in 2025), Anton discussed the idea of an "American Caesar" with Yarvin on a 2021 podcast, showing direct influence.
Blake Masters: A 2022 Republican Senate candidate (backed by Thiel), Masters also adopted elements of Yarvin’s thought, particularly on the need to "reboot" government.
Additionally, Yarvin has influenced a generation of young conservatives and "staffers" in the Trump administration, often described as "revolutionary vanguardists" who grew up reading his blogs. His impact is also evident in online circles like the "groypers" and segments of the New Right.
Conclusion
Curtis Yarvin is a polarizing figure: to some, a visionary exposing democracy’s flaws; to others, a dangerous provocateur flirting with authoritarianism and controversial ideas on race and hierarchy. His influence, once confined to the internet’s fringes, has extended into Washington’s halls of power and Silicon Valley’s tech elite, particularly with Trump’s 2024 reelection. His unconventional writings continue to spark debate and fascination.