The Science of Power

The Science of Power is a bold and impassioned final statement from sociologist Benjamin Kidd, written in the shadow of World War I. Rejecting the Enlightenment faith in reason, Kidd argues that Western civilization has collapsed under a "pagan retrogression" of materialism and militarism. He contends that knowledge and intellect have failed to guide humanity, and that true power arises not from reason, but from collective emotion-"the emotion of the ideal."

Calling for a radical rebirth of society, Kidd champions social integration over individualism, elevates social heredity as civilization's true engine, and identifies women as the "psychic centre of power" in a new moral order. The Science of Power remains a provocative critique of progress and the soul of modernity, and a significant document of intellectual history.

Benjamin Kidd (1858-1916) was a self-taught British sociologist. After 17 years as a civil service clerk, his 1894 book Social Evolution became a global sensation, arguing religion, not reason, drives social progress. This success allowed him to become a full-time writer and influential public intellectual until his death.