Selected Works on Tyranny
To understand the principles of constitutional republican government,
one must understand the principles of its opposite. The Founders of the United
States generally called it tyranny, but the 19th and 20th centuries have
developed supporting doctrines or ideologies of tyranny. Such doctrines go by
various names, reflecting subtleties of exposition and ostensible purpose:
fascism, national socialism, totalitarianism,
authoritarianism, collectivism, communism, or
statism. For the tyranny of the majority we have majoritarianism,
which has often appeared under the labels of "socialism", "progressivism" or
"liberalism", the last originally referring to its opposite. That opposite
today is usually referred to as "libertarianism" or "constitutionalism". The
following are some works that examine the principles of tyrannical
government.
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- Principles of
Tyranny, Jon Roland (2000) — Introduction and analysis.
- Quotes on
Tyranny — Brief statements that make important points.
- Of Tyranny (Della tirannide), Vittorio Alfieri, (1777)
tr. Julius Molinaro & Beatrice Corrigan — Work of an Italian dramatist
which led to the establishment of an Italian republic.
- Communist
Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1848) — Statement of
their objectives.
- The Man versus the
State, Herbert Spencer (1884) — How the servants try to become the
masters and majorities become oppressive.
- The Doctrine of Fascism, Benito
Mussolini (1932) — Provided tyranny a formal doctrine.
- Hitler Site — Collection of works, useful for
scholars.
- Mein Kampf, Adolph Hitler
(1939) — The doctrine of national socialism.
- Animal Farm, George Orwell [Eric
Blair] (1946) — Cautionary tale of how revolutions are betrayed.
- Nineteen Eighty-Four, George
Orwell [Eric Blair] (1949) — Dystopian tale of endless totalitarian
nightmare and the logic and methods of tyranny.
| Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims
may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than
under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes
sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for
our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of
their own conscience. — C.S. Lewis |
| Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of
authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to
guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all
ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good
masters, but they mean to be masters. — Daniel Webster |
| I am sure there was no man born marked of God above another for
none comes into the world with a saddle upon his back, neither any booted and
spurred to ride him. — Last words of Richard Rumbold before being hanged
for planning an insurrection against the tyrant Charles II, 1679 |
| Of course the people don't want war... That is understood. But...
it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy,
a fascist dictatorship, a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no
voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is
easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the
pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works
the same in any country. — Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg trials, 1946
from Nuremberg Diary, by G. M. Gilbert. |