Abstract

It is outstanding in its originality and brilliance, its force of argument, and the relevance of its diagnosis. It is also outstanding in the arbitrariness of its argumentation from history and in the partiality with which the central problem is posed and developed. Its over-all impression, at least upon this reader, is not unlike Spengler's: irritation over much that is obviously one-sided and false and admiration for a political thinker of the first order who has something important to say. It should be noted in parenthesis that Professor Brogan's Preface and the excellent translator's footnotes and epigraph add nothing to the merits of the book. They only add to the irritation: the Preface in its pretentiousness is mere advertisement, the translator's contributions are partly superfluous, partly misleading, and partly obnoxious in their gloating exploitation of the author's grosser prejudices.