{"id":259386,"date":"2026-07-13T16:57:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/elites-and-democracy-hugo-drochon\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T16:57:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:57:41","slug":"elites-and-democracy-hugo-drochon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/elites-and-democracy-hugo-drochon\/","title":{"rendered":"Elites And Democracy – Hugo Drochon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As Finer writes: \u2018such a work would have put the logical actions . . . \u200bon an equal footing with the non-\u00adlogical ones\u2019.246 Indeed, if it is the case that most actions are non-\u00adlogical\u2014\u00addesires for something and post-\u00adfacto rationalisations of them\u2014\u00adthat does not mean that the actions to achieve them cannot be ra- tional, which Pareto strove to point out. As Zettterberg puts it: the inability to solve the prob\u00adlem of the role of reason in the circulation of elites is most obvious when the issue is phrased as reason versus sentiment.<\/p>\n

It is neither reason nor sentiment that should be maximised to insure the survival of an elite, but efficiency. And efficiency is produced through a deli- cately balanced mixture of reason and sentiment, working not against one another, but in harness\u2019.247 It is certainly the case that Pareto thought force to be an indispensable means of maintaining power by elites: he berated Louis XVI for thinking he could \u2018halt the Revolution with his royal veto, for his was the illusion of a 242.<\/p>\n

See also Femia, \u2018Pareto\u2019s Concept of Demagogic Plutocracy\u2019, p. 147: \u2018Reason . . . \u200bcan help us to get from A to B, but it cannot determine \u00adwhether B is a desirable destination. The conflict between competing ethical systems is incapable of rational resolution. . .<\/p>\n

. \u200b[Pareto] saw himself as an heir of Machiavelli, separating morality from \u00adpolitical analy\u00adsis\u2019. 243. Pareto, Treatise, #150, 152. 244. Ibid., #2079. 245. Bellamy, \u2018Vilfredo Pareto\u2019, p. 31. 246. Finer, \u2018Introduction\u2019, p. 48. 247. Zetterberg, \u2018Introduction\u2019, pp. 20\u201321. ch apter 2 spineless weakling who was soon to lose what \u00adlittle head he had\u2019.248 But we should remember that Pareto distinguished between vio\u00adlence, the weapon of the weak, and force, that of the strong, a distinction he feared the fascists \u00adwere not able to make.<\/p>\n

He wrote to Pantaleoni that \u2018\u00adthere are growing signs in Italy, very slight it is true, of a worse \u00adfuture than one ever could have \u00adimagined.<\/p>\n

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Copyright \u00a9 2026 by Prince\u00adton University Press Prince\u00adton University Press is committed to the protection of copyright and the intellectual property our authors entrust to us. Copyright promotes the pro\u00adgress and integrity of knowledge created by \u00adhumans. By engaging with an authorized copy of this work, you are supporting creators and the global exchange of ideas. As this work is protected by copyright, any reproduction or distribution of it in any form for any purpose requires permission; permission requests should be sent to permissions@press\u200b.\u00adprinceton\u200b.\u00adedu\u200b.\u00ad Ingestion of any IP for any AI purposes is strictly prohibited.<\/p>\n

Published by Prince\u00adton University Press 41 William Street, Prince\u00adton, New Jersey 08540 99 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6JX press\u200b.\u00adprinceton\u200b.\u00adedu GPSR Authorized Representative: Easy Access System \u00adEurope -\u00ad Mustam\u00e4e tee 50, 10621 Tallinn, Estonia, gpsr\u200b.\u00adrequests@easproject\u200b.\u00adcom All Rights Reserved ISBN 978-0-691-18155-4 ISBN (e-\u00adbook) 978-0-691-27983-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2025942394 British Library Cataloging-\u00adin-\u00adPublication Data is available Editorial: Ben Tate and Josh Drake Production Editorial: Jenny Wolkowicki Jacket design: Chris Ferrante Production: Danielle Amatucci Publicity: James Schneider and Kathryn Stevens Copyeditor: Bhisham Bherwani This book has been composed in Arno Printed in the United States of Amer\u00adi\u00adca 10 \u200b9 \u200b8 \u200b7 \u200b6 \u200b5 \u200b4 \u200b3 \u200b2 \u200b1 Ever tried.<\/p>\n

Ever failed. No \u00admatter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. \u2014\u00adsamuel beckett, \u2018Worstward Ho\u2019 vii Contents Acknowledgements xiii Introduction 1 I: Elite Theory 4 II: Demo\u00adcratic Theory 7 III: Dynamic Democracy 11 Movement 12 Dynamism 17 Regimes 25 Pessimism 28 IV: Book Structure 36 1 Mosca and the Ruling Class 39 I: Sicily 45 II: Making Italians 52 III: The Ruling Class I 58 IV: The Ruling Class II 69 Conclusion: Dynamic Democracy 78 2 Pareto and the Circulation of Elites 82 I: France, Italy 88 II: Lausanne, Economics 94 III: The Application 98 IV: The Treatise 101 viii Contents V: The Transformation of Democracy 112 VI: Fascism 116 Conclusion: Dynamic Democracy 120 3 Michels and the Iron Law of Oligarchy 122 I: Germany, France, Italy 123 II: The Iron Law 128 III: Michels and Weber 133 IV: Michels and Mussolini 138 V: Democracy\u2019s Two Palliatives 141 VI: Dynamic Democracy 145 Conclusion 149 4 Schumpeter and Elite Competition 154 I: Elite Competition 158 II: Economic Competition 163 III: Economic Democracy 166 IV: The Conditions of Minimalism 168 V: Pareto 172 Conclusion: Dynamic, Transformative and Oppositional Democracy 174 5 Dahl and Mills, Polyarchy or Power Elite?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.<\/em><\/p>\n

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