Synopsis
A vast sociological treatise arguing that human conduct is largely non-rational, driven by deep sentiments that elites dress up as logical doctrine.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Modern copyrighted workMost political and social action springs from non-logical sentiments, and the reasons people give are after-the-fact rationalizations of those drives.
It deflates the rhetoric of ideology, treating professed principles as masks over enduring instincts and elite interest.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with James Burnham, The Machiavellians.
Reading note
It is sprawling and idiosyncratic; grasp the core distinction between logical and non-logical action rather than every classification.
Best paired with
James Burnham, The Machiavellians