Maverick Philosopher

Footnotes to Plato from the foothills of the Superstition Mountains

Category: Political Ponerology

  • Does the Demonic Play a Role in the Politics of the Day?

    This just in from Vito Caiati: Your thought provoking post An Oligarchic Pathocracy and in particular the twenty characteristics of this collective psychological derangement, each of which is an absolute inversion of the natural, the good, and the rational, leads me to consider whether potent demonic (Satanic) forces are at work here and now, either…

  • An Oligarchic Pathocracy

    That may well be what we have going in the good old USA at present. You decide. Oligarchy: a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes. (Merriam-Webster) Pathocracy: "A system of government . . . wherein a small pathological minority takes control over a society of normal people."…

  • Servility Will Cower to Force

    Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America: For my part, I am persuaded that in all governments, whatever their nature may be, servility will cower to force, and adulation will follow power. The only means to prevent men from degrading themselves is to invest no one with that unlimited authority which is the sure method of…

  • Political Ponerology

    Ponerology is the theological study of evil. Political ponerology is thus the political-scientific study of evil. A tip of the hat to Tony Flood for referring me to this Mises Wire review by Michael Rectenwald of Andrew M. Lobaczewski's Political Ponerology.  I just now ordered a copy from Amazon. A new edition of Political Ponerology, by…