His entry begins:I’m interested in how governments rule, and even more in misrule. What more natural then, than to go back to the First World War, this colossal calamity that resulted from government failure all around. In The Sleepwalkers, the Cambridge historian Christopher Clark explains in great detail the politics of the involved countries: Serbia, Austria, Russia, Germany, France, Britain and others. War spread through Europe, he finds, because what no one wanted was not prevented. It’s a book packed with learning, and also with gems. Here is one about Freud, who was delighted that Austria was manning itself up for war: ‘For the first time in thirty years, I feel myself to be an Austrian, and feel like giving this not very hopeful empire another chance. All my libido is dedicated to Austria-Hungary.’About Nation of Devils, from the publisher:
Clark does not put as much blame on Germany as has been usual in recent history, but spreads it more around. Among the bad leaders of the time, the one who stands out from the others is...[read on]
Oxford University political theorist Stein Ringen offers a thought-provoking meditation on the art of democratic rule: how does a government persuade the people toLearn more about Nation of Devils at the Yale University Press website.accept its authority? Every government must make unpopular demands of its citizens, from levying taxes to enforcing laws and monitoring compliance to regulations. The challenge, Ringen argues, is that power is not enough; the populace must also be willing to be led. Ringen addresses this political conundrum unabashedly, using the United States and Britain as his prime examples, providing sharp opinions and cogent analyses on how the culture of national obedience is created and nurtured. He explores the paths leaders must choose if they wish to govern by authority rather than power, or, as the philosopher Immanuel Kant put it, to “maintain order in a nation of devils.”
Stein Ringen is professor emeritus of sociology and social policy at Oxford University.
The Page 99 Test: Nation of Devils.
Writers Read: Stein Ringen.
--Marshal Zeringue
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