Arguably, one of the most important political concepts to come out of the 20th century was James Burnham’s theory of managerialism. It is important mostly because it is a set of accurate observations that allow for a further understanding of what is happening in Western societies since the Second World War. Once you understand that our society is organized like a corporation, with senior management and a large layer of middle-management, things make much more sense.
The trouble is most people do not want to see this. Instead, they indulge in reductionist theories about secret cabals manipulating the system. Others pretend that the system is what is advertised and you just have to vote harder. Still others insist we have drifted into something randomly called socialist, Marxist or communist, not because the system possesses these qualities, but because those words are epithets. Despite being incredibly useful, the concept is hardly used.
One reason for this is the managerial class controls access to that which has value in modern society. If you want your ideas to get heard, you must pass muster with the people who keep the gates of the system. Just as in a corporation, you are not going to get to speak your mind around the bosses if they are not going to like what you have to say about them. Management always gets conservative about its position within the organization which means it is naturally defensive.
Another reason this idea languishes on the fringe is that most political commentary comes from mediocrities excluded from the elite track. The commentariat is populated with people unqualified to run a hotdog stand. As you see in the dreaded private sector, middle-management tends to be a cheering section in this system. Unlike a private company, the managerial class never has to worry about making a profit, so the cheering section can be stuffed to the gills.
There is also the fact that the commentariat is devoid of people who have experience in the dreaded private sector. Someone like Sohrab Ahmari struggles to understand managerialism because he never read the source material and he has no idea what goes on inside a company. He cannot see the parallels between the corporation and the corporate state. It is extremely hard to use a concept when you do not understand it and lack the capacity to comprehend it.
Interestingly, the people at the top of the managerial class and especially those seeking to reach the top are ignorant of the concept. They have achieved class consciousness to the extent that they naturally identify with the others in their class. They mark themselves with their dress, their language and political beliefs. The latter jumps out at the lower ranks where they tend to embrace the most extreme versions of elite opinion as a way to gain attention from the bosses.
The idea that animates the people in the system comes from Gramsci. They seek to control the centers of cultural production and they are aware of it. They want to control official truth in all areas of society. They do not see themselves as controlling access to and the benefits that are derived from property, capital or information, even though that is exactly what they are doing. Controlling institutions is about controlling access to what is valuable within the domain of the institution.
This means the managerial class has achieved class consciousness, in that they consciously identify with those in their class. They see themselves as distinct from the rest of society. On the other hand, they suffer from false consciousness in that they think they are motivated by altruistic reasons, like the spread of liberal democracy, individual freedom and equality. In reality, these social causes are a defense mechanism to protect their power over society.
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This Week’s Show
Contents
- Background
- The Terms
- Marxism
- Burnham’s Innovation
- Managers
- The Managerial Class
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