Monday, December 08, 2008

Theory:
Intellectual Opposition to Capitalism

Here's an interesting article theorizing the opposition to capitalism that is manifest in some intellectuals.

Main hypothesis:
Our explanation of the disproportionate anti-capitalism of intellectuals is based upon a very plausible sociological generalization.

In a society where one extra-familial system or institution, the first young people enter, distributes rewards, those who do the very best therein will tend to internalize the norms of this institution and expect the wider society to operate in accordance with these norms; they will feel entitled to distributive shares in accordance with these norms or (at least) to a relative position equal to the one these norms would yield. Moreover, those constituting the upper class within the hierarchy of this first extra-familial institution who then experience (or foresee experiencing) movement to a lower relative position in the wider society will, because of their feeling of frustrated entitlement, tend to oppose the wider social system and feel animus toward its norms.
Interesting stuff.

1 comment:

Al said...

I don't think Mises included that one in his book The Anti-Capitalist Mentality.