Aristocrats All

by Peter Saint-Andre

2004-02-12

Roderick Long reflects on the idea of individualist anarchism as a universalization of aristocracy. He quotes George Woodcock:

In reality the ideal of anarchism, far from being democracy carried to its logical end, is much nearer to aristocracy universalized and purified.

Or as Shelley said: "The man of virtuous soul commands not, nor obeys."

Roderick also quotes Ernest Lesigne on socialism vs. anarchism:

Both desire equality. One by lowering heads that are too high. The other by raising heads that are too low.

His long quote from Anne Rice's novel The Vampire Lestat is quite intriguing, too. (And he's got me quite interested in reading Oscar Wilde's The Soul of Man Under Socialism.)

Aristocracy for everybody!


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