This book analyzes the many threats to democracy that exist in the 21st century and tries to understand how democracy can survive economic, social and political crises. It focuses on issues of oligarchy, tyranny, totalitarianism, and ochlocracy. It discusses how these forms of governance manifested themselves in ancient and medieval worlds, and how socio-economic transitions in the 21st century have created conditions that increasingly pose similar threats to modern democracy. The author discusses broad transitions in the contemporary world: economic transition to advanced, high technology capitalism; cultural transition from traditional religious and family values to norms focusing on racial equality, gender and transgender equality and liberation, and multiculturalism; also, transition from the traditional religious worldview to rational-scientific worldview, and from religious morality to secular humanist ethics. These taken together undergird the political transition from traditional authority, involving monarchy and aristocracy, to rational-legal authority, involving constitutional law and democratic participation. The book shows, through extensive country discussions, that whenever these transitions become difficult, undemocratic forms of governance may emerge and override democracy.
Authored by an expert in the field, this book touches upon an especially topical theme in the contemporary world and is of interest to a wide readership across the social sciences, from researchers and students to discerning laypersons.
Author(s): Ronald M. Glassman
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 289
City: Cham
Preface
Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny in Historical Perspective
The Modern Transition
Theoretical Framework
Weberian Methodology
Aristotelian Theory
Feminist Theory
The Comparative-Historical Framework
Durkheim´s Theory of Anomie and Social Deviance
Acknowledgements
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Origins of Democracy
Humans in the Scientific State of Nature
Democracy in Tribal Societies
Despotism in Tribal Confederations: Kings and Priests
The Power of the Priests: Theocracy and the Divine Kingship
Human History Becomes the History of Kings and Conquests
Part I: The Rich Against Democracy
Chapter 2: Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny in the City-States of the Ancient World
City-States of the Ancient World
Pre-Greek City-States of the Middle East
Trade-Capitalism Emerges in the Independent City-States
Rich Merchant Oligarchs
Oligarchy Predominates in the Pre-Greek City-States
The Ancient Greek City-States
The Heavy Armored Hoplite Phalanx Empowers the Middle and Working Class and Their Warriors Assembly
The Spectacular Rise of Greek Trade-Capitalism and the Emergence of Economic Classes
Class Distinctions Based on Wealth
The Emergence of Rational-Legal Authority: The Rise of Science and Secular Law
Education and the New ``Aristocratic´´ Elite
Chapter 3: Renaissance Italian City-States: The Triumph of Oligarchy and Tyranny
The Arabic Golden Age Precedes the Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance
Oligarchy and Tyranny Triumph
Chapter 4: Oligarchy and Democracy in the German and Dutch Trade-Capitalist and Reformation City-States
Democracy Emerges in the German and Dutch Market City-States and Is Reinforced by the Reformation
Calvinism Legitimates the Rich as ``God´s Stewards on Earth´´: Oligarchy Gains Legitimacy
Chapter 5: Oligarchy and Democracy in the Dutch Republic and Great Britain: The Emergence of Representative Democracy
The Dutch Republic
Oligarchy, Democracy, and Monarchy in Great Britain
Puritanism Against the Church of England; Democracy Against Oligarchy and Monarchy
Oligarchy and Grandiose (Yet Limited) Monarchy Characterized Great Britain into the Twentieth Century
Science, Law, and the Limitation of Power: British Political Theory
Chapter 6: The Structure of High Technology Global Capitalism
Global Capitalism: Multinational Production and Transnational Coordination
Global Capitalist Enterprises are Connected by Contract Law and Patent Law
Economic ``Imperialism´´ Links Global Corporations to Raw Materials Extraction in Developing Nations
Oligopoly, Monopoly, and Competition in the Global Capitalist System
Who Controls the Giant Oligopolistic Corporations, and, Why Does It Matter?
Corporate and Financial Managers Take Salaries, Bonuses, and Stock Options That Are Much Too High
Global Capitalism: Outsourcing and Automation
Chapter 7: The Realignment of the Political Parties in the Advanced Capitalist Nations
The Old Left and the New Left
The Old Capitalist Parties and the New High-Tech Capitalist Parties
Chapter 8: Global Capitalism vs. Geo-Political Nationalism
The World Is Economically Linked
The World Is Politically Divided
Chapter 9: The Managerial and Entrepreneurial Rich Take a Huge Percentage of the Wealth to Themselves
Fair Wealth Distribution After World War II
The 1960s Radical Movements
The Backlash Against the Sixties Radicalism
The High-Technology Revolution Spawns a Class of Global Billionaires
How the Rich Avoid Paying Taxes and Override Progressive Income Tax
Capital Gains Taxes on Stock Income
Hidden Bank Accounts
Why Is the Withholding of Taxes by the Rich Disastrous Economically and Politically?
Extremes of Wealth Destabilizes Democracy
Are the New Rich of the Twenty-First Century an Aristocracy?
The Democratization of Education
The Meritocracy and the New Middle Class
Is There Anything Good About the Aristocratic Lifestyle?
Chapter 10: Taxing the Rich
The Progressive Income Tax Revitalized
Raising the Capital Gains Tax Above 15%
The Financial Transaction Tax: The Tiny Tax That Generates Billions in Revenue
The Value Added Tax and a Luxury Sales Tax
Hidden Bank Accounts
Conclusions on Oligarchy of the Rich
Preventing Oligarchy from Over-Influencing and Over-Riding Democracy
Campaign Finance Limits
Limiting Lobbying
Part II: The Poor Against Democracy
Chapter 11: Aristotle on the Problem of a Majority Poor
The Case of Venezuela
A Note on India
Chapter 12: Africa and the Traditional Poor
Tribalism and Islamic Terrorism Impede Democracy
The Traditional Rural Poor in Africa
Chapter 13: The Middle East: The Sunni-Shia Split; Radical Islam; Tribalism; and Oil
The Modern Sectors of the Cities Versus the Traditional Majority Population
Egypt and ``The Arab Spring´´
Syria and Iraq: Religious and Ethnic Divisions Impede Nation-Building
The Sunni-Shia Split
Syria: The Assad Dictatorship and the Shia (Alawite) Repression of the Sunnis
Iraq: American Invasion, Shia Versus Sunni, Arabs Versus Kurds
Oil
Chapter 14: The Poor, The Military, and Tyranny
The Case of China: A Billion People, No Shortage of Military Recruit
Iran, Theocracy and the Persian Guard
The Ayatollah Muslim Theocracy and the Persian Guard Army Versus the Middle Class and Democracy
Part III: Tyranny
Chapter 15: The Origins of Tyranny: From the War Chief and Shaman to Divine Kingship
Democracy and Tyranny: Both Intrinsic to the Human Political Potential
The Origins of Tyranny
From War Chief to ``King´´
The Role of the Priesthood in the Establishment of Kingship
The Shaman Becomes a Priesthood
``Benevolent´´ Kings Versus Tyrants
Manufactured Charisma and Legitimacy
Chapter 16: The Emergence of Tyranny Without Traditional Kingship
The City-States of the Middle East Retain Traditional Kingship in Limited Form
The Abolition of Monarchy and the Absence of an Institutionalized Priesthood in the Greek City-States
The Greek City-States Rise as Trading Cities with No Kings and No Priests
Personal Rule Without the Legitimacy of Traditional Kingship
Herodotus and the Forms of Government
The Critique of Democracy
Aristotle on the Decline of Kingship and the Rise of Tyranny
How Do Tyrants Maintain Their Power and Gain Some Modicum of Legitimacy?
Power, Terror, Order, and Charisma
Charisma: Real and Manufactured
A Word on Tyranny in Rome
The World Beyond Greece and Rome: Divine Kingship Makes Democracy Inconceivable
Chapter 17: Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny in the Italian City-States
Machiavelli and His Handbook for Successful Tyranny
Chapter 18: Tyranny During the English and French Revolutions: Cromwell, Napoleon and Louis Napoleon
The Renaissance Spreads Northward
Cromwell as Revolutionary Democrat, Fanatical Puritan, and, Tyrant
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Chapter 19: From Tyranny to Totalitarianism in the Twentieth Century: Fascism and Nazism, Mass Mobilization and Mass Murder
Italy and Mussolini
Mussolini and Machiavelli
Manufactured Charisma and the Beginnings of Totalitarian
Fascist Manufactured Charisma Rivals Divine Kingship as a Legitimation System
Hitler and Germany
Hitler Adds Racism to the Nazi Ideology: Mass Murder and Genocide
Chapter 20: From Tyranny to Totalitarianism in the Twentieth Century: Communism-Utopian Dreams and Totalitarianism Reality
Utopian Dreams: Karl Marx
Marxism-Leninism: As a Model for Rapid Industrialization
Enter Stalin: The Dream Becomes a Nightmare
Economic Problems of Communism
The Rise and Fall of Communism in China
Enter Sun Yat-sen
Mao Follows the Marxism-Leninism Model
Mao Goes Totalitarianism
The Capitalist Road
Xi Jinping Institutes Technological Totalitarianism
North and South Korea: Communism and Tyranny Versus Capitalism and Democracy
Chapter 21: Totalitarianism: Tyranny Taken to a Terrifying Level Totalitarianism as a New Political Phenomenon
Repression, Terror and Participation in Nazi Germany
Stalin Copies the Nazi Program
Technological Totalitarianism
Xi Jinping and His Totalitarian Program
The Roots of Totalitarianism: From Ancient Egypt to Modern China
The Origins of the Divine Kingship
Totalitarian Projects in Egypt and Mesopotamia
China: Divine Kings and Confucian Officials
Modern China and Mao´s Totalitarianism
Xi Jinping and Modern Totalitarianism in China
North and South Korea: Competing Models
North Korea: Stalinism
South Korea: Capitalism and Democracy Succeeds
Chapter 22: Illiberal Democracy: A New Form of Modern Tyranny
The New Nationalism Versus Global Culture
The Revival of Traditional Religion
Support from the Less Well-Educated
Putin and Russia
Viktor Orbn and Hungary
Poland: ``Justice and Order´´-Jaroslaw Kaczynski
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
A Note on Modi and India
Conclusions on Tyranny: The ``Beast´´ Within Us
Part IV: Ochlocracy: Mob Rule and Crowd Psychology in the Cybersphere
Chapter 23: Ochlocracy as a Critique of Democracy in the Ancient Greek World
Herodotus and the Debate Over the Forms of Government
Polybius
Chapter 24: Ochlocracy Disappears: The Rise of Representative Democracy
The Representative Parliament and Polite Rules of Order
The British Gentry Make Good Manners Central to the Social and Political Process
Chapter 25: Ochlocracy in the Cybersphere
The Worldwide Web: The Internet
Extremist Blogs
The Printing Press and Extremist Pamphlets
Newspapers
Extremist Blogs and Their Political Effects
Terrorism and the Extremist Blogs
Ochlocracy in the Cyberworld
Hacking and Misinformation Encourage Ochlocracy
Conclusions on Ochlocracy
President Donald J. Trump and Mob Rule
Part V: The Modern Transition: A Fourfold Process-Economic, Cultural, Worldview, and Political
Chapter 26: The Economic Transition to High Technology Industrial Capitalism
Developed, Developing, and Underdeveloped Nations
The Transition to Advanced Capitalism
Marxism-Leninism and Stalinism
Chapter 27: The Cultural Transition: From Traditional Religious Values to P.C. Values
The Cultural Transition: From Traditional Religious Family and ``Tribal´´ Values to the ``Politically Correct´´ Values, on Rac...
Racial Equality
Gender Equality: Women´s Liberation
Gay Liberation and New Definitions of Gender
Multiculturalism Versus ``Tribalism´´ and Nationalism
Chapter 28: The New Worldview: The Rational Scientific Worldview, and, Secular Humanism
Hegel and Human Consciousness of Self and the World
The Rational-Scientific Worldview
Secular Humanism and Modern Ethics
The Modern Zeitgeist
Chapter 29: The Political Transition: From Traditional Authority (Monarchy) to Electoral Democracy with Legal-Rational Authori...
Traditional Authority (Monarchy and Aristocracy)
Rational Legal Authority and Democracy
Rational-Legal Authority Is Reinforced by the Rational-Scientific Worldview
The Contract Law of Capitalism Reinforces Legal Authority
Educational Equality and Democratic Participation
Education, the Expanding New Middle Class, Equality, and Democracy
The New Middle Class of the Twenty-First Century
The Majority Middle Class and Political Stability
Conclusions to the Fourfold Modern Transition: Durkheim, Social Change and Anomie
Weber, Political Transitions and Charismatic Leaders
Epilogue
President Trump Against Democracy
