I've often (but only casually) wondered why "Orwelianism" isn't a thing, like Marxism or Leninism or Reaganism/Thatcherism. I kind of understand why, as I think his world view outs such things as inherently abhorrent, but since when has that stopped people making idols out of people and dogma out of the things they say?
But still, it would be nice if "Orwelianism" meant "Adhering to the principles of George Orwell in encouraging critical thinking and considered reasoned observation" and if it became a school of political thought... alas, all good ideas are corrupted in the end, but human progress walks on the stepping stones of ideologies, and it seems we've had nothing but nasty ones for a very long time.
Well, he was never in power, never had "followers", wouldn't have wanted them, and actively promoted his own disillusionment with the dogmatic end of the Left.
Whereas an ideology requires a dogma: a set of things that are not questioned.
"Orwellian" is totally a thing, but I don't think that when people say "Orwellian" they are talking about Orwell's ideology--they're usually talking about the kinds of problems that Orwell wrote about in 1984 and Politics and the English Language. It's analogous to how some diseases are named after the doctors who identified them--obviously the doctor doesn't cause the disease or want it to happen, they simply identified it.
> encouraging critical thinking and considered reasoned observation
That's already called rationalism and/or empiricism. Why does it need a surname attached to it? It would only obscure the meaning. I think Orwell himself would not be pleased; he very much argued in favour of expressing yourself clearly. I think he has even wrote some kind of essay about it, but I can't recall the title.
I'm not saying Orwelianism should be a thing, I'm wondering why it isn't. As I said in my comment, it doesn't matter what Orwell himself has to say on the matter. By all accounts, Jesus (if he were a real figure) wasn't keen on the idea of organised religion, yet here we are. Once your dead, you lose any say in the matter and the words you leave behind will be appropriated, decontextualised and regurgitated to make you say things you never would.
I think Orwell has a lot of the traits that made people like Marx idols. A good chunk of his writing is actually instruction. And he has a lot of fans, but no fanatics. I merely find it curious that Orewlianism isn't an ideology.
I did take an extra step and pondered wether it would be a good thing, but that's a throw away thought.
But still, it would be nice if "Orwelianism" meant "Adhering to the principles of George Orwell in encouraging critical thinking and considered reasoned observation" and if it became a school of political thought... alas, all good ideas are corrupted in the end, but human progress walks on the stepping stones of ideologies, and it seems we've had nothing but nasty ones for a very long time.