In this seminal work, Hannah Arendt explores the historical and philosophical roots of totalitarianism. The book is structured into three essays: 'Antisemitism', 'Imperialism', and 'Totalitarianism'. Arendt examines the rise of anti-Semitism in 19th-century Europe, the role of European colonial imperialism, and the emergence of totalitarian movements in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. She argues that totalitarianism is a novel form of government that differs from other forms of political oppression by its use of terror to subjugate mass populations and its aim for global domination. The book also delves into the mechanics of totalitarian movements, including the transformation of classes into masses, the role of propaganda, and the use of terror to maintain control[2][4][5].
Written in the early 16th century, 'The Prince' is a realistic instruction guide for new rulers. Machiavelli argues that an effective leader must be skilled in the art of war, sometimes cruel, and willing to use deception and manipulation to achieve political goals. The book is divided into chapters that discuss various types of principalities, how to acquire and maintain power, and the qualities a prince should possess. Machiavelli uses historical examples, including the career of Cesare Borgia, to illustrate his points. The treatise emphasizes the importance of maintaining the goodwill of the people and the stability of the state, even if it means deviating from traditional virtues. 'The Prince' remains a controversial but influential work in modern political philosophy.
Written after his travels in the United States, 'Democracy in America' is a comprehensive study of American society and government. Tocqueville examines the democratic revolution and its impact on American life, discussing topics such as the sovereignty of the people, the role of civil society, the dangers of the tyranny of the majority, and the influence of religion and individualism. The book is a philosophical and political analysis that aims to understand why republican representative democracy succeeded in the United States while failing in other places, and it offers insights into the future of democracy both in America and globally[2][3][4].
The Leopard, originally titled 'Il Gattopardo', is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that explores the transformation of Sicilian society during the Italian unification in the 19th century. The story centers around Don Fabrizio, the Prince of Salina, who represents the old feudal order and witnesses the transition of power from the aristocracy to the new bourgeois class. The novel is set against the backdrop of Giuseppe Garibaldi's invasion of Sicily and the subsequent unification of Italy. It is known for its vivid descriptions of Sicilian life, its complex characters, and its exploration of themes such as mortality, change, and the decline of the aristocracy[2][3][5].
In today’s age of authoritarian plutocracy, the UCLA political theorist Natasha Piano argues that we need to rethink the supposed “elitist” school of Italian thinkers like Vilfredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca. In her intriguing new book, Democratic Elitism, Piano suggests Pareto, Mosca and even the Marxist Antonio Gramsci were actually "democratic theorists of elitism" who warned that electoral institutions can often enhance elite domination. Piano contends that American political science created a "founding myth" by misrepresenting these Italian thinkers to legitimize electoral democracy during the Cold War. And in our current political climate she says, their warnings about plutocracy are particularly prescient.
Five takeaways
1. Flipped Interpretation of Italian Elite Theorists
Pareto, Mosca, and Gramsci weren't "elite theorists of democracy" but rather "democratic theorists of elitism" - they studied elite power to expose its dangers, not endorse it.
KEY QUOTE: "They investigated elitism not to endorse it, but to study it and figure out how democracy could actually create genuine accountable leaders."
2. Elections ≠ Democracy
Equating democracy with competitive elections creates two major threats: it conceals plutocratic domination (rule by the wealthy) and enables demagogic manipulation by those claiming to represent "the people."
KEY QUOTE: "Elections are actually representative mechanisms, they're not democratic mechanisms."
3. American Political Science's "Founding Myth"
The discipline misrepresented these Italian thinkers during the Cold War to legitimize electoral democracy as superior to communist alternatives, covering up their warnings about plutocracy.
KEY QUOTE: "My book kind of tries to understand why we lost the extent to which plutocracy can undermine electoral institutions, as the Italians warned, and why American political science kind of covered this study of plutocracy up."
4. Democracy as "Good Government"
Piano advocates redefining democracy not as elections but as good government with three attributes: popular support, actively anti-plutocratic measures, and genuine pluralistic competition with majoritarian pressure from below.
KEY QUOTE: "What I've understood or what I think we should take from them is that perhaps a redefinition of democracy, not as election, but as good government is in order."
5. Elite Self-Recognition is Essential
Contemporary "coastal elites" must acknowledge their own elite status and impose limits on their power - the solution requires elites to honestly assess their role, not blame "the mob" for democratic failures.
KEY QUOTE: "They would really encourage all elites on the left or right to look within themselves and ask themselves if they're genuine aristocrats and what that would mean vis-a-vis the resurrecting the polity."
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