Robert Michels | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 9 January 1876 |
| Died | 3 May 1936 (aged 60) |
| Academic background | |
| Influences | |
| Academic work | |
| School or tradition | Italian school of elitism |
| Institutions | |
| Notable works | Political Parties (1911) |
| Notable ideas | Iron law of oligarchy Moderation theory |
| Influenced | |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party of Germany (–1907) National Fascist Party (1924–1936) |
Robert Michels (German: [ˈmɪçəls]; 9 January 1876 – 3 May 1936) was a German-born Italian sociologist who contributed to elite theory by describing the political behavior of intellectual elites.
He belonged to the Italian school of elitism.[1][2] He is best known for his book Political Parties, published in 1911, which contains a description of the "iron law of oligarchy."[3][4][5] He was a friend and disciple of Max Weber, Werner Sombart and Achille Loria.
Politically, he moved from the Social Democratic Party of Germany to the Italian Socialist Party, adhering to the Italian revolutionary syndicalist wing and later to Italian Fascism, which he saw as a more democratic form of socialism. His ideas provided the basis of moderation theory which delineates the processes through which radical political groups are incorporated into the existing political system.
- ^ Nye, Robert A. (1977). The Anti-Democratic Sources of Elite Theory: Pareto, Mosca, Michels. London: SAGE Publications. p. 30.
- ^ Chambliss, J. J., ed. (2013). Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia. London: Routledge. p. 179.
- ^ May, John D. (1965). "Democracy, Organization, Michels". The American Political Science Review. 59 (2): 417–429. doi:10.2307/1953059. ISSN 0003-0554.
- ^ Hands, Gordon (1971). "Roberto Michels and the Study of Political Parties". British Journal of Political Science. 1 (2): 155–172. ISSN 0007-1234.
- ^ Cook, Philip J. (1971). "Robert Michels's Political Parties in Perspective". The Journal of Politics. 33 (3): 773–796. doi:10.2307/2128281. ISSN 0022-3816.