In this provocative and deeply insightful presentation, philosopher David Storey invites us to explore the shifting terrain of the American Right through an integral lens. What happens when a political movement loses its center of gravity? How do we make sense of the post-Trump “New Right,” with its seemingly chaotic blend of populism, conspiracism, religious revivalism, and technocratic libertarianism? And perhaps most importantly: How might Integral Theory help us distinguish between regressive traditionalism and the wisdom of true conservative thought?

Storey begins by diagnosing the collapse of the “Old Right” — the Reagan-era fusion of free-market liberalism, muscular foreign policy, and social conservatism. After the financial crisis, the Iraq war, and the rise of populist sentiment, two of the Right’s three foundational pillars have largely crumbled, leaving behind a party increasingly defined by cultural grievance and tribal identity. What’s emerged in their place is not a coherent ideology, but a fractured landscape of psychological memes and political subcultures that defy conventional categories.

Through the framework of Spiral Dynamics, Storey maps this terrain with striking clarity. From the magical-realist conspiracies of QAnon to the hypermasculine, anti-modern stylings of Bronze Age Pervert; from the libertarian swagger of Barstool conservatives to the separatist dreams of Christian intentional communities; and from the disaffected technocrats of Silicon Valley to the old-guard Never Trumpers — each faction expresses different value structures, often regressing into Red or Amber (or Red and Blue, in Spiral Dynamics language) while borrowing Green or Orange language. Beneath their differences, they share a common foe: the so-called “woke mind virus,” though Storey suggests they often target caricatures rather than engaging with healthy expressions of progressive values.

Storey’s most original contribution may be his deep dive into the rise of Catholic Integralism and the broader “post-liberal” movement. Figures like Adrian Vermeule and Patrick Deneen argue that liberal modernity itself — based on autonomy, individual rights, and secular progress — is a failed social experiment calling for wholesale replacement with a virtue-based, theologically grounded order. But as Storey warns, much of what’s labeled “post-liberal” is actually pre-liberal, echoing authoritarian worldviews that preceded the modern experiment in pluralism and democracy.

What, then, would a truly Integral Conservatism look like? Here, Storey opens fascinating philosophical territory. If integral thinking truly transcends traditional political categories, what does it mean to be genuinely conservative from an integral perspective? His provocative answer: recognizing that tradition, modernity, and postmodernity are all traditions in their own right — each containing wisdom worth preserving and pathologies demanding confrontation.

Rather than rejecting liberal modernity, Storey argues for re-growing healthy Amber — revitalizing the social cohesion and moral clarity that allow democracy to function — while integrating Orange’s pragmatism and Green’s compassion. His most intriguing proposal involves marrying progressive economics with spiritual and moral sensibility, noting that many traditional Christians are alienated less by policy than by the secular packaging of progressive values. But this raises profound questions: Can such a synthesis overcome the historical tensions that have kept these traditions apart? What would it actually look like in practice?

Through his analysis of figures like Pete Buttigieg — who combines traditional religious values, military service, technocratic competence, and progressive identity — Storey invites us to imagine what integral political leadership might actually embody. This opens further inquiry: Can any individual truly integrate these complex value systems in the political arena? What structural changes would support such leadership?

Ultimately, Storey suggests that the real fault line in American politics may not be Left vs. Right, but development vs. regression — whether our responses to cultural breakdown spiral downward into fear and authoritarianism or upward toward synthesis and renewal.

This presentation is both a sobering diagnosis of our current political moment and a hopeful gesture toward transcending polarization — not by splitting differences, but by integrating the partial truths of our major traditions into a fuller, more coherent whole. While Storey’s analysis raises more questions than it definitively answers, this may be precisely the point. In a political moment defined by false certainties and tribal simplifications, his work models the kind of nuanced, developmental thinking our crises demand.

The conversation he’s started about integral conservatism is far from over — it’s an essential exploration for anyone seeking to understand how conscious development might reshape our political future.

—Recorded at the 2024 ICON Conference in Denver, Colorado

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