Pareto and Political Theory is the first book-length study of the philosopher-s importance in terms of the most fundamental issues of political discourse: individualism vs. holism, science vs. hermeneutics, laissez-faire vs. social engineering, and value relativism vs. moral absolutism.
Joseph V. Femia shows that although Pareto is considered a -founding father- of both sociology and mathematical economics, his contribution to political theory is neither fully recognised nor properly explored. This is also the only book to examine Pareto-s critique of Kantianism and natural law and also includes the first comparison of Pareto-s thought with postmodernism and a detailed refutation of the familiar charge that Pareto was a defender of fascism.
This critical, but sympathetic analysis refutes the familiar charge that Pareto was some sort of proto-fascist and instead locates him in the Machiavellian tradition of -sceptical liberalism-, which scor
