A reactionary is an individual which takes a position of reaction (reacting to) in relation to a fundamental change in the forces of production. When a society reaches a point of intensified struggle, political positions appear either for or against the old order (the establishment).
The word stems from the original left/right divide in the aftermath of the French Revolution, although the relationship is arguably older. After the revolution, society was in complete chaos, a fallen state. Nobody knew the exact relationship individuals had to their greater collective being, as the King was no longer seen as legitimate. In response to this, two fundamental political positions arised: those wanting a return to the Ancien Regime (the rule of Kings and feudal lords), and those wanting a new, democratic and universal state. In response to the fallen state of French society, the corrupt and privileged wanted a return to the old ways: but there was no way to really return. The old way of the Kings had already been deligitimized, and thus any such "return" would be inauthentic, merely reacting to a fundamental change in the fabric of society.
| Original order | The fall | Fallen state | Reconciliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden of Eden | Original Sin | World of Sin | Kingdom of Heaven |
| Feudalism | Industrial Revolution | Modernity | Communism |
| Monarchy | Rise of Capitalist Class | Robespierre | Universal Politics |
| Original Communism | Agricultural Revolution | Class Society | Communism |