Machiavellians

* Book: The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom. By James Burnham. (John Day, 1943), Lume Books,

URL = https://www.lumebooks.co.uk/book/the-machiavellians-defenders-of-freedom/ pdf

Description

"A classic work of political theory and practice, this book makes available an account of the modern Machiavellians, a remarkable group who have been influential in Europe and practically unknown in the United States: Gaetano Mosca, Georges Sorel, Robert Michels and Vilfredo Pareto. In addition, there is a long section on Machiavelli himself.

James Burnham contends that the writings of these men hold the key both to the truth about politics and to the preservation of political liberty."

Discussion

Westering Sun:

"In The Machiavellians, James Burnham argued that politics is not a competition between abstract principles. Instead, most political discourse seeks to obscure the question of who rules, and on whose behalf. Even political language about peace, justice or equality routinely masks the struggle for power.

Burnham championed the Machiavellian tradition, which is based on political realism. Crucially, Machiavellian thinkers argue that ideologies do not guide the use of power so much as they justify status and control in moral language. For while politicians typically claim to serve society at large, in practice they tend to serve particular groups at the expense of others. From this perspective, the Reformation was not just a spiritual awakening: it was a rationalization of the bourgeoisie’s ascendance over the universal church. Enlightenment liberalism, meanwhile, broadly served to justify the ascent of the commercial class against the aristocracy.”

(https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/woke-as-managerial-ideology)