The New State · Chapter
XXVIII: Political Pluralism explained
This chapter examines the rise of political pluralism as a challenge to the unifying state, surveying syndicalist, guild socialist, and pluralist thinkers who advocate for multiple group organizations as the basis of a new state.
What happens
This chapter examines the rise of political pluralism as a challenge to the unifying state, surveying syndicalist, guild socialist, and pluralist thinkers who advocate for multiple group organizations as the basis of a new state. The author critiques pluralism for its weaknesses, including a misunderstood Hegelianism, reliance on medieval doctrine, and lack of scientific group study, while arguing that true federalism requires ascending groups that compound into a unified whole, as inspired by William James' philosophy of the compounding of consciousness.
Themes in this chapter
The Unifying State vs. Political Pluralism
The chapter directly contrasts the unifying state with pluralist theories, arguing that pluralism's weaknesses must be corrected to achieve true federalism.
Integration of Occupational and Neighborhood Groups
Discusses proposals for combining geographical and occupational representation, and the need for ascending groups that compound into a federal state.
Rejection of Crowd Psychology and Mass Rule
Critiques 'numerical representation' and 'the stupid force of number,' advocating for group-based organization over atomistic sovereignty.
Neighborhood Organization as the Political Unit
Reiterates the importance of neighborhood groups as the foundation for building a federal state through compounding.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
The author presents and critiques the pluralist school, advocating for a federalism that integrates neighborhood groups into a unifying state.
- We the People
Referenced as the collective that must create small groups and build the federal state through lived experience.
- Léon Duguit
Cited for his 'objective' theory of law and new conception of the state, which challenges traditional sovereignty.
- William James
His philosophy of the compounding of consciousness is invoked to reconcile distributive and collective pluralism, and to guide the formation of federalism.
- Harold Laski
Mentioned as a pronounced political pluralist whose work 'Studies in the Problem of Sovereignty' emphasizes multiple groups and challenges the abstract state.
- Mr. Barker
Cited as a political pluralist who argues that every state is a federal society containing diverse groups.
- Benoist
Quoted for advocating that the state must recognize private associations and group representation to avoid 'the stupid force of number.'
- De Maeztu
His book 'Authority, Liberty and Function' is noted for emphasizing the functional principle in guild socialism.
Key passages
“The last hundred years marked in all countries the beginning of the dissolution of the State and of the resurrection of corporate life [trade unions etc. ]. … In the face of this growth of syndicalism in every direction, … it is no longer venturesome to assert that the State is dead.”
Over the past century, the state has been dissolving while corporate groups like trade unions have revived, making it safe to declare the state dead.
Illustrates the pluralist view that the state is obsolete.
“If the state is to correspond to reality, it must recognize, Benoist insisted, all this group life, all these interests, within it.”
Benoist argued that the state must acknowledge the full range of group life and interests to be realistic.
Highlights the pluralist demand for state recognition of groups.
“The heart of James’ difficulty was just this: how can many consciousnesses be at the same time one consciousness? How can the same identical fact experience itself so diversely? How can you be the absolute and the individual?”
James struggled with how multiple consciousnesses can be one, and how the same fact can be experienced differently, questioning the relationship between the absolute and the individual.
Connects James' philosophical problem to the political challenge of federalism.
“We, every man and woman today, must create his small group first, and then, through its compounding with other groups, it ascends from stage to stage until the federal state appears.”
Each person must first form a small group, which then combines with others step by step to eventually create the federal state.
Outlines the author's proposed method for building a federal state from neighborhood groups.
