Merlan, Philip

William Gayley Simpson (1892-1990) underwent a significant ideological transformation throughout his life. Initially, he was involved in progressive movements, serving as a Christian left-wing labor activist and associate director for the National Civil Liberties Bureau in the late 1910s and 1920s. He also lived an ascetic Christian life that garnered him attention. However, by the late 1920s, Simpson became disillusioned with Christianity and his past political stances. He began to criticize Christianity and promote Nietzschean philosophy, which he explored in his 1935 book, 'Toward The Rising Sun'.

Later in his life, Simpson embraced White supremacy and joined the neo-Nazi organization National Alliance. His most well-known work, 'Which Way Western Man?' (1978), espoused White supremacist views, alleged a Jewish plot against White people, advocated violence against Jews, and expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler. Simpson's later writings and ideology have influenced prominent figures in White supremacist and neo-Nazi circles.

Born in 1892, William Gayley Simpson initially pursued a religious path, graduating from Union Theological Seminary in 1915. He served as a Presbyterian pastor, advocating pacifism during World War I, which led to his resignation. He then became involved in labor activism and racial integration, working with the National Civil Liberties Bureau. During the 1920s, Simpson adopted an ascetic lifestyle, living in a shack and subsisting on donations, which gained him notoriety and concern from church officials. This period of intense spiritual seeking also involved travel to India and Japan.

By the late 1920s, Simpson experienced a profound disillusionment with Christianity and his prior political leanings. Influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy, he rejected Christian universalism and egalitarianism. He began publicly criticizing Christian morality, which he deemed detrimental to individual strength and personal freedom. Simpson articulated these evolving views in his 1935 book, 'Toward The Rising Sun,' which explored his philosophy of self-reliance and personal truth, albeit with critics noting a lack of concrete values. His critiques of Christianity were noted for their clarity and force, with some reviewers drawing parallels to emerging anti-Christian sentiments.

In his later years, Simpson became a prominent figure in White supremacist circles. He joined William Luther Pierce's National Alliance, a neo-Nazi group. His 1978 book, 'Which Way Western Man?', became a central text for his ideology. In this work, Simpson argued for the racial purity of White Christians, alleging a Jewish conspiracy aimed at undermining Western civilization through integration, feminism, and multiculturalism. He promoted eugenics, criticized democracy, and advocated for the expulsion and disenfranchisement of Jewish people, whom he identified as the primary enemy. Simpson openly identified as a racist, asserting that race consciousness and discrimination were essential for survival.

“man must disdain such a society, and "must strive to be strong enough to live according to the best that he finds within him, and do so fearlessly, even though society tempts him to join it and become little more than a 'well fed cow"”

“Rejoice, shades of Nietzsche! [...] Bill is joining the revolt against democracy. A little more and a Communist would call him a dyed-in-the-wool Fascist”

“one of the most contemptible civilizations that has ever existed”

“Race consciousness, and discrimination on the basis of race, are absolutely essential to any race's survival, and to any nation's survival. [...] Unless we recover our race consciousness, and maintain it, and heighten it, and live by it, we shall die.”