SOURCE: "Pareto and Fascism Reconsidered," in The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Vol. 19, No. 4, July, 1960, pp. 399-411.

In the following essay, Jaffe reconsiders the basis for Pareto's reputation as a fascist ideologue.

From time to time various writers have linked the name of the Italian economist and sociologist, Vilfredo Pareto, with fascism. He has been portrayed by some as the ideological father of fascism ("Marx of the bourgeoisie"), by still others as a precursor of fascism. Accordingly, it would seem well systematically to appraise Pareto's work, especially as it relates to fascist ideology. Here we will attempt this task, singling out four aspects of his work: first, his anti-intellectualism and anti-rationalism; second, his quasi-biological theory of the elite third; his vilification and hatred of democracy; and fourth, his glorification of force as an instrument of rule.

A good many definitions have been advanced for fascism. Most of...