metamitya ·
The Managerial Revolution
• **Author and Publication**: "The Managerial Revolution: What is Happening in the World" is a book by James Burnham, published in 1941, focusing on political philosophy, political science, and sociology.
• **Central Thesis**: Burnham argues that a new managerial class is emerging in modern industrial societies, poised to replace the traditional capitalist class as the primary rulers of the economic system through economic planning.
• **Historical Context**: The book theorizes about the future of capitalism, suggesting that it is not a permanent structure and is undergoing transformation, particularly influenced by developments during the interwar period.
• **Class Struggle**: While agreeing with Marxists that the capitalist class will lose power, Burnham contends that they will not be replaced by the disorganized working class, but rather by the emerging managerial class.
• **Definition of the Managerial Class**: The managerial class includes individuals responsible for the technical direction and coordination of production, such as managers, administrators, and bureaucrats, who are essential in complex modern economies.
• **Obsolescence of Capitalists**: Burnham argues that the capitalist class has become obsolete by relying on managers for production control, leading to a future where the managerial class will take ownership and control from the capitalists.
• **State Ownership**: He predicts that the managerial class will implement state ownership of production, which he believes will be more efficient than individual capitalist control.
• **Global Trends**: Burnham identifies similarities in the economic structures of Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and Roosevelt's New Deal America, indicating a global shift towards managerial control.
• **Decline of Capitalist Democracy**: The rise of the managerial class is expected to result in a decline of capitalist democracy and an increase in centralized, bureaucratic governance.
• **Critique of New Dealism**: Burnham critiques the New Deal as a step towards managerialism, arguing it undermines confidence in capitalist institutions and prepares society for a managerial structure.
• **Reception and Criticism**: The book has been influential but has faced criticism for its predictions, many of which, such as the collapse of capitalism and the superiority of state-run enterprises, have not come to pass.
• **Contemporary Relevance**: Burnham's ideas about an unaccountable managerial class have gained traction among conservative thinkers, especially in discussions regarding the influence of "woke" culture and corporate governance.