''The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy'' is a book by theorist

Albert O. Hirschman Albert Otto Hirschman (born ''Otto-Albert Hirschmann''; April 7, 1915 – December 10, 2012) was a German economist and the author of several books on political economy and political ideology. His first major contribution was in the area of de ...

, which styles the

rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...

conservatism Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

in opposition to social change as consisting of three narratives: ''perversity,'' ''futility,'' and ''jeopardy,'' and that, further, these narratives are simplistic and flawed, and cut off debate. After a historical examination of his thesis, he discusses corresponding progressive narratives, and proposes a new framework. Hirschman takes as a starting point the

neoconservative Neoconservatism is a political movement that began in the United States during the 1960s among liberal hawks who became disenchanted with the increasingly pacifist foreign policy of the Democratic Party and with the growing New Left and coun ...

critiques of social security and other social welfare programs. Recalling

Thomas Humphrey Marshall Thomas Humphrey Marshall (1893–1981) was an English sociologist who is best known for his essay " Citizenship and Social Class," a key work on citizenship that introduced the idea that full citizenship includes civil, political, and social ci ...

's theory of the development of citizenship in the West by which civil, political, and social dimensions of citizenship are successively achieved, Hirschman illustrates the rhetoric of reactionaries through citing arguments concerning three major reforms: the

French revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, moves toward

universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stanc ...

in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the concerns over the

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitabl ...

in his time.

Reactionary narratives

Hirschman describes the reactionary narratives thus: * According to the perversity thesis, any purposive action to improve some feature of the political, social, or economic order only serves to exacerbate the condition one wishes to remedy (compare:

Unintended consequences In the social sciences, unintended consequences (sometimes unanticipated consequences or unforeseen consequences) are outcomes of a purposeful action that are not intended or foreseen. The term was popularised in the twentieth century by Ameri ...

). * The futility thesis holds that attempts at social transformation will be unavailing, that they will simply fail to "make a dent." * Finally, the jeopardy thesis argues that the cost of the proposed change or reform is too high as it endangers some previous, precious accomplishment. He argues that these are "rhetorics of intransigence", which do not further debate.

Progressive narratives

In the final chapter, Hirschman discusses progressive narratives which he regards as simplistic and flawed. * The Synergy Illusion – the idea that all reforms work together and reinforce each other, rather than being competing; * The Imminent Danger – urgent action is necessary to avoid imminent danger; * History Is on Our Side *:Compare: "The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice," by

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Proposal

Hirschman advocates instead these "mature" bases for discussion: # There are dangers and risks in both action and inaction. The risks of both should be canvassed, assessed, and guarded against to the extent possible. # The baneful consequences of either action or inaction can never be known with certainty but our reaction to either is affected by the two types of alarm-sounding Cassandras with whom we have become acquainted.

Editions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhetoric of Reaction 1991 non-fiction books Belknap Press books Conservatism