Aristocracy And Evolution; A Study Of The Rights, The Origin, And The Social Functions Of The Wealthier Classes - Softcover

W. H. Mallock

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1314179969 ISBN 13: 9781314179965

Publisher: HardPress

Synopsis

Aristocracy And Evolution; A Study Of The Rights, The Origin, And The Social Functions Of The Wealthier Classes by W. H. Mallock. This 1898 work is a sweeping sociopolitical treatise that argues social progress is driven not by the masses but by a gifted minority—the aristocracy of talent. Mallock critiques the great-man theory and the idea that social aggregates alone determine history, urging instead a twofold view of progress: a slow, collective evolution and a rapid, purposeful influence by exceptional individuals who shape knowledge, industry, politics, and religion. He defends the capitalist wage-system as a permanent framework for progress and rejects socialist proposals for abolishing private property or radically equalising opportunity as impractical. The book unfolds across four parts, examining the nature and degrees of greatness, how elites wield power, how to distinguish contributions of the few from those of the many, and the implications for education and happiness. It remains a provocative argument about the social rights and duties of wealthier classes and the essential role of leadership in civilization.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1314179969
• ISBN 13: 9781314179965
• Binding: Paperback