What are the nature and the causes of modern tribalism? Philosophically,
tribalism is the product of irrationalism and collectivism. It is a logical
consequence of modern philosophy. If men accept the notion that reason is not
valid, what is to guide them and how are they to live?
Obviously, they will seek to join some group—any group—which claims the
ability to lead them and to provide some sort of knowledge acquired by some
sort of unspecified means. If men accept the notion that the individual is
helpless, intellectually and morally, that he has no mind and no rights, that
he is nothing, but the group is all, and his only moral significance lies in
selfless service to the group—they will be pulled obediently to join a group.
But which group? Well, if you believe that you have no mind and no moral value,
you cannot have the confidence to make choices—so the only thing for you to do
is to join an unchosen group, the group into which you were born, the group
to which you were predestined to belong by the sovereign, omnipotent,
omniscient power of your body chemistry.
This, of course, is racism. But if your group is small enough, it will not be
called “racism”: it will be called “ethnicity.”