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Caesarism

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A statue of Julius Caesar, in the city ofRimini,Italy.

In political science, the termCaesarismidentifies and describes anauthoritarianandautocraticideology inspired byJulius Caesar,thedictatorof Rome, from 49 BC to 44 BC.[1][2]

History[edit]

The German historianJohann Friedrich Böhmerfirst used the termCaesarismin 1846, to describe the state's political subordination of the Roman Catholic Church.[1]In 1850,Auguste Romieudefined Caesarism as the military rule and régime of awarlord.[1]The sociologistPeter Baehrsaid that "following Romieu's polemic," Caesarism "... [Caesarism] gained vogue [-word] status". In 1857, the religious writerOrestes Brownsonused the term Caesarism to mean rule and régime ofabsolute monarchy.[1]In 1858, the mainstream usage of the term occurs in aWestminster Reviewarticle of political criticism about the "clumsy eulogies of Caesarism as [being] incarnate in the dynasty of Bonaparte".[1]

As an admirer of Julius Caesar, Napoléon Bonaparte espoused Caesarism as a justification of his rule and régime of France.[3]Napoleon III's policy under theSecond French Empire,which combined an authoritarian regime and a proactive social policy, notably with theOllivier lawof 1864, can be described as a form of "social Caesarism".[4]According to historianLouis Girard (historian)[fr],this policy aims in particular to rally the workers to the regime in the face of hostile liberal bosses.[5]

Benjamin Disraeliwas accused of Caesarism in March 1878 when, in anticipation of war with Russia, he mobilised British reserves and called Indian troops toMalta.G. K. Chestertonmade one of the most ringing denunciations of Caesarism in his workHeretics,calling it "the worst form of slavery".[6]

SociologistMax Weberbelieved that everymass democracywent in a Caesarist direction. Professor of law Gerhard Casper writes, "Weber employed the term to stress,inter alia,theplebiscitarycharacter of elections, disdain for parliament, the non-toleration of autonomous powers within the government and a failure to attract or suffer independent political minds. "[7]

20th century[edit]

A so-called "democratic" form of Caesarism has been advocated by theorists likeVenezuela'sLaureano Vallenilla LanzinCesarismo Democrático(1919).[8]ItalianDuceBenito Mussoliniand the ideology ofItalian fascismespoused Caesarism.[9]

Antonio Gramscistated that the roots of Caesarism lie at the level of a "crisis of authority," which is also a crisis of representation that occurs when social groups no longer identify with political parties. These then become anachronistic, allowing a Caesarist solution to emerge. In the Italian case, Gramsci locates the causes of this socio-political disintegration in the destabilizing experience of the First World War, where the large peasant masses were forced to fight. At the same time, they had been passive during theRisorgimento.Caesarism is a macro-social phenomenon and cannot be driven by the emergence of an individual; this phenomenon, therefore, fulfills a political function. Furthermore, Gramsci evokes the possibility of a "Caesarism without Caesar" but implemented by a group like theBritish National Governmentbringing togetherthe ConservativesandLabour.[10]

Oswald Spenglerdescribed Caeserism as a final phase of modernity that would succeed democracy.

21st century[edit]

According to French historianChristian-Georges Schwentzelin the 21st century,Vladimir PutinandRecep Tayyip Erdoğanpartly took over this Caesarean model by adapting it, responding at the same time to a desire for authority and grandeur emanating from their peoples.[11][12] In the 2020s, parts of theAmerican right-wing,especially those associated with theClaremont Institutethink tank, have advocated for Caesarism as an authoritarian solution to problems facing the US.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdeBaehr, Peter (2009).Caesarism, Charisma and Fate: Historical Sources and Modern Resonances in the Work of Max Weber.Transaction Publishers. pp. 32–35.ISBN978-1-4128-0813-2.
  2. ^"Caesarism".The Free Dictionary.
  3. ^Baehr 2009,p. 54.
  4. ^Ferraton, Cyrille[in French](2007).Associations et coopératives, Une autre histoire économique[Associations and cooperatives, Another economic story] (in French). ERES. p. 116.
  5. ^Girard, Louis[in French](1960)."Les élections de 1869"[The elections of 1869].Revue d'Histoire du xixe siècle - 1848(in French).21(1): X.
  6. ^Chesterton, G.K."Heretics".
  7. ^"Caesarism in Democratic Politics: Reflections on Max Weber".
  8. ^von Vacano, Diego A. (2012).The Color of Citizenship: Race, Modernity and Latin American / Hispanic Political Thought.Oxford, UK:Oxford University Press.pp. 83–111.ISBN9780199746668.
  9. ^Gentile, Emilio(2003).The Struggle for Modernity: Nationalism, Futurism, and Fascism.Westport, Connecticut:Greenwood Publishers.pp. 137–138.ISBN9780275976927.
  10. ^Hoare, George (2015).An Introduction to Antonio Gramsci: His Life, Thought and Legacy Paperback.Bloomsbury Academic.pp. 58–59.ISBN978-1472572769.
  11. ^Schwentzel, Christian-Georges[in French](24 January 2017)."Trump, Poutine, Erdogan: le désir d'autorité a un précédent: Jules César"[Trump, Putin, Erdogan, Caesars of the 21st century].Slate(in French).Archivedfrom the original on 26 January 2017.Retrieved13 June2022.
  12. ^Schwentzel, Christian-Georges[in French](2017).La Fabrique des Chefs, d'Akhenaton à Donald Trump[The Fabric of Leaders, from Akhenaten to Donald Trump] (in French). Paris: Vendémiaire. pp. 160–164.ISBN978-2-36358-252-2.
  13. ^Wilson, Jason (October 1, 2023)."'Red Caesarism' is rightwing code – and some Republicans are listening ".The Guardian.
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