Cynicism

What is Pareto's Circulation of Elites? The circulation of elites is due to acquisition or loss of qualities or merits. The persons who acquire merit move upward and those who become degenerate loss the membership of the elite class.

The term “Elite” is loosely used to refer any superior or privileged group, but it more properly refers to groups defined by their superior power. An elite is a ruling minority. Mosca and Pareto observed that for much of recorded human history the few have ruled the meaning into any important contribution to modern political sociology. Mosca in “The Ruling Class” made the first statement of the theory, the distinguishing mark of the rulers and therefore the explanation for their political dominance over the ruled lay in the rulers’ superior organization. The composition of the ruling elites reflects the balance of power among the underlined social forces.

It was Pareto, who, by naming the ruling few ‘elite’, gains much of the credit for the theories’ creation. Pareto went on to develop the ideas as part of his own sociology. Where Mosca related elite composition circulation to a changing balance of social forces, Pareto saw this as reflecting an underlined distribution of psychological qualities. The term elite have no moral or honorific connotations in Pareto’s usage. It denotes simply “a class of the people who have the highest indices in their branch of activity”. Pareto argues that “it will help if we further divide that [elite] class into two classes: a governing elite or ruling class‘, comprising individuals who directly or indirectly play some considerable part in government of society, and a non-governing elite, comprising the rest like, who was not involved in government and pursued an occupation in an artistic or scientific sphere”. Thus, his main discussion focuses on the governing elites.

Two Classes: a governing elite or ruling and non-governing elite or non - ruling

Pareto held that social action is determined by one or other of six basic ‘sentiments’ or ‘residues’. These are typically rationalized by more intellectual sects of ideas, for an example – democracy, nationalism and liberty, that it terms derivations and which correspond to Mosca’s idea of the political formula. Pareto‘s theory started from a conviction that the circulation of élites was a consequence of an alternation in them of ‘residues’ of the first and second class. Each élite had a corresponding definite style of governing. An instinct of ‘combinations’ governed the use of persuasion and deceit, and of cunning means of bamboozling and misleading the masses.

According to Pareto, amongst the residues two were far more important than the others – the residues of the persistence of aggregates which stimulated ‘courage and strength’; and the residues of combinations which stimulated ‘cunning and compromise’. A ‘persistence of aggregates’ instinct governed the opposing qualities of the rulers. They were aggressive, authoritarian, inclined to use force, and suspicious of manipulation, manoeuvring, and compromises. While the first type of ruler lived only in the now, the second aspired to the future. Rulers fabricated ideals, lay and religious; their aims stretched far ahead. The individual‘s dedication to the service of society, the subordination of individual interests to social ones, and courage and constancy in the pursuit of these aims were the characteristic features and spiritual values of this type of ruler.

 Residues of the persistence and combinations

Thus, Pareto turned those rulers moved by the first of the residues ‘lions’ and those moved by the second ‘foxes’ and then used these distinctions to formulate his theory of the ‘Circulation of Elite’. Here, ‘Foxes’ were the symbol of cunning, chicanery, and treachery; the ‘lions’ were the symbol of strength, persistence, irreconcilability, and courage. ‘Foxes’ and ‘lions’ corresponded to the types of ‘speculator’ and ‘rentier’ in business and financial activity. The ‘speculator’ was the prototype of businessmen, magnates, schemers, and entrepreneurs who were striving for gain. He was immersed in risky combinations, had no pangs of conscience, and strove for success at any price. The ‘rentier’ was his complete opposite. He was a timid depositor, living on a fixed income, afraid to take steps that would damage his capital and cause himself inconvenience. A preponderance of ‘rentiers’ in society was evidence of its stabilisation, passing later into decay and decline. A preponderance of ‘speculators’ predetermined development in social and economic affairs

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According to this theory, every society is found in violence and therefore by lions. As it settles down the need for their courage and strength declines. Eventually this need is replaced by an even more compelling one for the surplus skills of the foxes, who then become the rulers. The rule of the foxes remains in space until the society’s identity and sense of direction becomes so unclear that a need for more leonine qualities once again arises

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According to Pareto, in every society there are two groups. The one is concerned with government and usually controls the means of production and is, therefore, rich. The other group is constituted by those who are poor and governed. The fact is expressed by saying that in every society we find upper and lower classes. The upper classes are elite and the lower are non-elite. However, the distinction of elite and non-elite is neither permanent nor fixed. There is up and down movement of members of elite and non-elite. An elite may degenerate into non-elite and a non-elite may rise to the level of elite. This exchange between classes is technically known as circulation of elites. No society can maintain status quo indefinitely, there are bound to be changes which may adversely affect the elite and help the non-elite. Though the governing class does its best to prevent the entry of the members of non-governing class into its fold, it is not always successful in this. As Pareto observes, history is a graveyard of aristocracies. They do not last long; they are doomed to disappear by thinking down of their membership.

The up and down movement of elite takes place in two ways; Firstly, some non-elite, by their merit, may rise to the level of elite, and secondly, by revolution the entire governing class may be reduced to the status of the governed. Indeed, in the opinion of Pareto, circulation of elite is necessary for healthy social change. A slowing down of this circulation of individuals may result in a considerable increase of the degenerate elements in the classes which still hold power, and on the other hand, in an increase of elements of superior quality in subject classes. In such a case the social equilibrium becomes unstable and the slightest shock will destroy it. A conquest or revolution produces an upheaval which brings a new elite to power and establishes a new equilibrium.

According to Pareto the circulation of elites is due to acquisition or loss of qualities or merits. The persons who acquire merit move upward and those who become degenerate loss the membership of the elite class. According to Pareto, if the elite face a certain group in the masses which qualifies as elite, it uses two methods to meet it. Either it eliminates or absorbs them. Absorption is obviously the more humane method. Elimination requires different methods such as execution extra. When an elite has been in power for a long time it becomes too intellectual and therefore vulnerable. Such an elite is substituted by more qualified elite. According to Pareto, the western societies had been generally governed by plutocratic elites or the family of foxes.  But a new kind of elite is emerging. Pareto called the Fascist and Communist elites, the elite of the family of lions who seize power in decadent societies.

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You can visit some significant Theories by some Great Theorists:
Voluntaristic Theory of Action (Voluntaristic Action), Generalized Media of Exchange, Four-Function Paradigm (AGIL Model in Systemic Model), Hierarchy of the Sciences (The Classification of the Science), The Philosophy of Money, Organicism, The Laws of Three Stages, Order and progress (Interrelation between Social Statics and Social Dynamics)

Reference:

• Igor Kon, A History of Classical Sociology
• Lewis A. Coser, Masters of Sociological Thought.
• Various

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Related Questions:

The concept of Elite and The Ruling Class.

The explanation of the Circulation of Elites in the society by Pareto.

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