Power Degree Zero: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, Despotism

Thomas S D Osborne

doi:10.1080/2158379X.2022.2061128

Power Degree Zero: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, Despotism

Thomas S D Osborne

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Abstract

This paper considers the applicability and history of the concept of despotism as a critical model of political power. In spite of its 'Orientalist' pedigree, critical perusal of the work of Montesquieu (and, secondarily, Tocqueville) reveals that the concept has also functioned as a critical ‘pure type’ that is feasibly applicable not just to all societies but perhaps especially to the West. As such, despotism has arguably been more of a satirical – or ‘inverted’ – concept than straightforwardly an empirical one.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	243-261
Number of pages	19
Journal	Journal of Political Power
Volume	15
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/2158379X.2022.2061128
Publication status	Published - 28 Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This article is based on research funded as part of a Major Research Fellowship 2016-18 by the Leverhulme Trust. I am most grateful to Mark Haugaard and to two anonymous referees from this journal for considerable help in improving this paper.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

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AB - This paper considers the applicability and history of the concept of despotism as a critical model of political power. In spite of its 'Orientalist' pedigree, critical perusal of the work of Montesquieu (and, secondarily, Tocqueville) reveals that the concept has also functioned as a critical ‘pure type’ that is feasibly applicable not just to all societies but perhaps especially to the West. As such, despotism has arguably been more of a satirical – or ‘inverted’ – concept than straightforwardly an empirical one.

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Power Degree Zero: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, Despotism

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